Washington, Dec, 10.
President Roosevelt yesterday formally proclaimed the Tenth Naval Distrcit, including Som ^an and the Virgin Islands, in accordance with recent United States moves to strengthen her Caribbean defences and safeguard the Panama Canal and continental United States.
Up to the present the San Juan area has been administered from the Charleston, South Carolina Naval District. Meanwhile the Army increased its land and air garrisons at Puerto Rice, where the Navy is constructing a major air base, Torpedo Boats Mr, Charles Edison, Acting Secretary of the Navy, yesterday awarded a $5,000,000 contract for 11 high speed motor torpedo boats and 12 subchasers patterned after the so-called "Mosquito" craft used by Britain, The new craft may be used by the neutrality patrol, "It is hoped," Mr Edison said, "that a thoroughly satisfactory high speed military motor boat of American design will be developed from these ships now building."—United Press.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.