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108 cane. They are part of the french and british [[envois?]] [[red underline]] British [[/red underline]] [[strikethruogh]] fla [[/strikethrough]] and [[red underline]] french flags [[/red underline]] in evidence everywhere. April 28. Meeting of [[underlined in black and red]] Naval Consulting Board at [[/underlined]] Murney ^[[Munsey]] building. Busy and interesting morning. Several interesting communications. Huchinson describes simple and practical method for rapidly relining [[red underline]] 14" and 16" guns after [[/red underline]] they have become unsuited by erosion. Relining can be done on the ship [[red underline]] without sending to arsenal [[/red underline]]. [[red underline]] Coffin [[/red underline]] gave us a long talk about conferences with french and british officers. [[red underline]] Russia [[/red underline]] wants [[/red underline]] locomotives [[/red underline]] and railroad equipment, much handicapped now by problem of [[red underline]] transportation. All want food England, France and Italy most. [[/red underline]] they also want [[red underline]] ships, ships [[/red underline]] for transportation, wooden [[end page]] [[start page]] 109 or [[red underline]] steel whatever is available. Submarine [[/red underline]] problem is [[red underline]] very serious [[/red underline]] can only be offset by [[red underline]] building more ships than they can destroy [[/red underline]]. Britain and France have now [[red underline]] more shells [[/red underline]] and explosives than [[red underline]] guns [[/red underline]]. Italy has [[red underline]] more guns and insufficient shells. Our aid here very necessary [[/red underline]]. Took a young man called Kee of Norfolk Va. who has a new floating mine device, to [[red underline]] Sperry. Sperry is not well, [[/red underline]] has just undergone an [[red underline]] operation Mrs. Sperry [[/red underline]] tells me [[strikethrough]] but [[/strikethrough]] and should go to bed but [[red underline]] his restless nervous activity takes [[/red underline]] the better of him and he shortly [[red underline]] reappeared at the meeting.[[/red underline]] [[strikethrough]] Dan [[/strikethrough]] Secretary [[red underline]] Daniels [[/red underline]] came at the meeting and made a short impressive address calling attention to the gravity of the situation and the importance of our services and thanking us for