The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-05-16
30 TRANsPORT sOLDIERs.
Uncle Sam Trying TO Lessen Expense
Of Shipping Troops.

New York, May 16.---A special to the
Times from Washington says:
A proposition has been laid before
Secretary Root for the establishment of
a transport line from New York to Ma
Mia by way of the Suez canal. The Sec
rotary now has the matter under con-
sideration and will probably decide upon
it shortly. The plan is, not to super
sede the Pacific transport line, but to
have two lines and the chief argument
IN its favor is that of economy.
1t now costs about $65 to get a soldier
from New York to Manila and the
transport line saves the government
about $500 900 on each round trip. From
New York to San Francisco it costs
about $35. If the war department ar
ranges things so as to take advantage
of the colony rate" From San Fran
cisco to Manila 1T costs about $50, where
as the private citizen who wants to go
from San Francisco to Manila cannot DO
it under $155, without reckoning the ex-
penseS of an enforced stay at Hong
Kong of several days. A soldier could
be taken from San Francisco to Manila
for about $3.50 by private line.
The proponents of the Suez canal plan
believe that the expense could be still
further reduced by running an eastern
transport line. The cost of taking a
soldier from New York to Manila by
transport through the Suez canal is only
about $26. At first sight this appeo7S q
conclusive argument in favor of the At
lantic plan, but other things enter in.
The cost Is $26 only if the transport can
bring a soldier back in place of the one
she takes across; if she comes back
empty the cost win be $50. for 1t costs
just as much to bring the ship back as
it does to send her out. But even $52 3
man would be cheaper than the present
Pacific route.
1t is, however. maintained by oppon-
ents OF the plan that there are incl
dental expenses which might bring the
total cost much higher, for example,
the cost of maintaining transportation
facilities in New York 1t is quite i'm
possible to do away with the Pacific
tertained for minute. If the Atlantic
line is to be established II would not
supersede the Pacific line.
A compromise plan favored by some
army officials is to run an Atlantic line
as an adjunct to the Pacific line. Under
this plan there would be no regular
transport line with transports making
trips at stated intervals A transport
could, instead, run out from New York
at irregular intervals whenever it was
thought best to send one from there in
stead of from SanFrancisco. This would,
in the opinion of these officers who favor
it. make the saving in expense certain.
for IT would enable the government to
send out a transport only when troops
were to return, or at other times when
the expense could certainly be figured
down TO the minimum If a regular line
were rum just as the case at San Fran
cisco. the government would, they argue,
be obliged to send out ships whether the
expense. was $50 or $26 a soldier. The
trouble with this compromise plan Is
that it will not be accountable to those
citizens who are anxious for the main
tenance Of a transport line on account of
its convenience and other advantages.
The irregularity Of an adjunct line
would destroy all its attractiveness to
them.