.

When that war comes our country will probably have to bear the burden
for the western hemisphere. In that war our navy will be our first line
of defense; and what we do for our navy now will have much to do with
what our navy will be able to do for us then.

Our navy to-day is made up of good ships and capable, courageous,
hard-working officers and men. There are some fuddy-duddies and
politicians among them, but most of them are on the job every minute.
Their highest hope is the chance to serve their country. The chapters in
this book which tell of their U-boat hunting only prove once more their
great qualities.

There are chapters in this book which have nothing to do with U-boat
hunting, but have much to do with the navy. Such are the two opening
chapters and the three closing chapters. The motive of four of those
chapters will probably be obvious; the chapter on the workings of a
submarine is included in the hope of interesting our young fellows in
that type of craft.

The need of such a chapter? Take this illustration of what people do not
know about submarines: Three years ago an admiral on the other side was
called into conference on the U-boat problem. When it came his turn to
speak he said: "Gentlemen, it is child's talk to say that the U-boats
will ever amount to anything! Disregard them utterly!" Only three years
ago that was, and that naval officer was considered for commander-in-chief
of the Grand Fleet! Three years ago, and last year the U-boats sank
6,600,000 tons of shipping!

Right now Germany probably contemplates, or is actually constructing,
U-boats with armor and guns heavy enough to engage on the surface any
war craft up to the battle-cruiser class. How far from that to fighting
the heaviest of surface craft--even to the battleships?

In the event of invasion--we might as well face that; refusing to think
about it certainly will not eliminate the possibility,--in the event of
invasion by a powerful foe our first line of defense will be our navy.
The navy will always be our first line of defense; and so the need
to-day of interesting in our navy young men,--progressive young men, who
will learn from the past but prefer to live in the future.

J. B. C.

CONTENTS

PAGE
NAVY SHIPS 1

NAVY MEN 12

SEEING THEM ACROSS