he Emergency Fleet Corporation.

Ships launched during the year and up to October 1, 1918, include 1
gunboat, 93 destroyers, 29 submarines, 26 mine-sweepers, 4 fabricated
patrol vessels, and 2 seagoing tugs. It is noteworthy that in the first
nine months of 1918 there were launched no less than 83 destroyers of
98,281 tons aggregate normal displacement, as compared with 62
destroyers of 58,285 tons during the entire nine years next preceding
January 1, 1918.

There have been added to the navy during the fiscal year and including
the three months up to October 1, 1918, 2 battleships, 36 destroyers, 28
submarines, 355 submarine chasers, 13 mine-sweepers and 2 seagoing tugs.
There have also been added to the operating naval forces by purchase,
charter, etc., many hundred vessels of commercial type, including all
classes from former German transatlantic liners to harbor tugboats and
motorboats for auxiliary purposes.

Last year the construction of capital ships and large vessels generally
had been to some extent suspended. Work continued upon vessels which had
already made material progress toward completion, but was practically
suspended upon those which had just been begun, or whose keels had not
yet been laid. The act of July 1, 1918, required work to be actually
begun upon the remaining vessels of the three-year programme within a
year. This has all been planned and no difficulty in complying with the
requirements of the act and pushing rapidly the construction of the
vessels in question is anticipated. Advantage has been taken of the
delay to introduce into the designs of the vessels which had not been
laid down numerous improvements based upon war experience.

WORK OVERSEAS

War was declared on April 6, 1917. On the 4th of May a division of
destroyers was in European waters. By January 1, 1918, there were 113
United States naval ships across, and in October, 1918, the total had
reached 338 ships of all classes. At the present time there are 5,000
officers and 70,000 enlisted men of the navy serving in Europe, this
total being greater than the full strength of the navy when the United
States entered the war. The destroyers upon their first arrival were
based on Queenstown, which has been the base of the operations of these
best fighters of the submarines during the war. Every facility possible
was provided for the comfort and recreation of the officers and men
engaged in this most rigorous service.

During Jul