UNCLE SAM'S NAVY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 231, 18 June 1918, Page 5

UNCLE SAM'S NAVY

NEED FOR INCREASE IN PERSONNEL MEASURES FOR EFFICIENCY CRec. June 18, 0.30 a.m.) Washington, June 16. The Navy Department has strongly ursed upon Congress the need for increasing tho enlisted strength of the Navy to 131,'158. Tho strength now is 87,000. It is iioiuled out that there is only ono commander of tho transport and cruiser force. If the nation had to meet an attack with' separate-cruiser scout forces there would not bo a commander for both. Three additional rear-admirals wero needed to remedy tho delect. Tho destroyer and submarine forces could not bo proporly organised if it were necessary to divert them to fight against surface enemy craft instead of submarines. Tho increase of strength to 131,458 would give 5500 officers instead of 3700. It is further pointed out that tho United States must prepare for a largor Navy after tho war, when tho world will bo in a "perturbed stale." America will send 180 destroyers to European waters in 1918.—Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Assn. SALVING SUNKEN SHIPS WONDERFUL FEATS. . (Rec. Juno 17, 11.45 p.m.) London, Juno 17. Tho' Admiralty's salvage department has' salved*'lo7 vessels. In ono case a benzine ship caught tiro and explodod. The vessel was scuttled, forty shots being fired into her. Divers then descended, and plugged the shot' holes. Sho was then pumped out and taken to port. In another case a ship was torpedoed with a cargo worth ,£3,000,000 and sank. She hud a hole forty feet by twenty-eight in her. A standardised patch was quickly Bolted on, a new typo : of submersible motor-pump pumped out some of the holds from which tho cargo had been emptied, and tho vessel was then iloated and docked. Practically all tho cargo was saved. Chemists have discovered a remarkable spraying preparation ' for counteracting tho sulphuretted hydrogen from decomposed meat and .wheat, which often mado it impossiblo for divers t.q work' .in the holds of sunken vessels — Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Assn.

THE QUEST FOR TONNAGE. AMERICAN BID TOE DANISH MERCHANT FLEET. (Rec. Juno 17, 7.30 p.m.) . New York, June 15. . The New York "World's" Washington correspondent learns that America is negotiating "with Denmark with tho object of securing the Danish merchant marine, consisting of 500,000 tons of shipping. Tho Danish mission to the United States has been consulting with the War Trade Board for several days. Denmark resents tho enforced idleness of her merchantmen. It is believed'that'the Germans already have been consulted regarding the terms they will allow Denmark to make with tho United States. Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. THE TORPEDOED WAIHEMO OFFICERS RETURNING TO NEW V ZEALAND. \ Melbourne, Juno 17. Officers from the torpedoed steamer Waihemo (of the Union _ Steam Ship Company's fleet) have arrived, en route, to New Zealand. They state that the ship was torpedoed without warning early in the morning, and sank in fifteen minutes.—Press Assn. NORWEGIAN BARQUES SUNK. CRec. Juno 17, 5.5 p.m.) Washington, June 16. It is announced hero that tho Norwegian barquo Samoa frpm Buenos Aires, was sunk by U-boat feunfiro off Virginia coast on Friday. Fifteen of the crow wero rescued. —Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn. . (Rec. Juno 17, 10.20 p.m.) Washington, June 17. The Norwegian barquo Krinsjaa has been sunk .by a U-boat when eighty miles off tho Virginia coast. The crew was res-cued.—Aus.-N.Z. Cablo Assn. DUTCH PILOT-BOAT SUNK BY BRITISH MINE TTRITISn GOVERNMENT EXPRESSES REGRET. London, June 15. The Foreign Oilice announces that the British Government has expressed regret that a mine laid outside a proclaimed minefield sank a Dutch pilot-boat and killed several sailors. The British Government is willing to pay the cost of the boat and compensate the relatives ot the victims.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Assn.