1917-18, is but little over five months, this being somewhat less than
half the average time under peace conditions. As many as 400 men were
employed in work on the _Ward_, and in preparing to establish the record
as much structural work as possible was prepared in advance, ready for
erection and assembling before the keel was laid. While this achievement
will no doubt remain unmatched for some time, it will none the less
stand significant as marking a condition that is general in naval
construction throughout the country, this applying to battleships and
other craft as well as to destroyers.

In short, under the constructive leadership of Josephus Daniels, the
navy is doing its enormous bit in a convincing manner. It took the
personnel of the navy--that is, the commissioned personnel--a long time
to discover the real character and personality of Mr. Daniels. It is not
too much to say that many of them were hostile to his administration.
But the war proved him for what he was. With administrative capacity of
his own, sound judgment, and a clear brain, he was big enough to know
that there were many things that had better be left to the highly
trained technicians under his command.

And so in large measure he delegated many actual tasks of administration
to the most competent officers in the navy, officers selected for
special tasks without fear or favor. Mr. Daniels will receive, as he is
now receiving, credit for their work; but he in turn is earnest in his
desire so to speak and act, that this credit will be duly and properly
shared by those entitled thereto. He has disregarded seniority and other
departmental, not to say political factors, in choosing the right men to
head the various bureaus of the Navy Department and the various units of
the fleet.