South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1914-08-14
AMERICAN SHIPS
BEING CHARTERED
Committee Secures Six Vessels
Which Are Expected to
Leave Newport News During
the Next Few Days.

WASHINGTON. Aug. 14.-Follow-
ing a meeting OF the general relief
board. Secy. Garrison announced
Thursday chat six American ships
with a carr. ing capacity Of 5000. Will
be assemble at Newport News e.. an
early date and sent 20 bring back
Americans in Europe. In addition
vessels will be chartered in Europe
and another meeting of the board Will
be held Friday with a view Of engag
ing more ships.
Five OF the transports now at Cal
weston Will be used as relief ships
These are the Sumner, Fitzpatrick
Denver, City Of Macon and City Of
Panama railway service will also be
used.
In announcing the sending Of these
steamers, the war department issued
the following statement:
ITO make useful these boats for this
work their present accommodations
must be greatly enlarged, lighting and
sanitary systems must be extended,
sleeping accommodations must be in
stalled and bedding and other supplies
and necessities provided.
while the boats are proceeding
from Galveston to Newport News all
these necessities as well as coal, food,
etc, will be assem- led there and just
as soon as the necessary work can be
done on the boats they Will be dis
patched. 1t is hoped that IT will take
only a few days at Newport News TO
complete the equipment. The ports
for which they will sail have not as
yet been settled; they will be deter
mined by the conditions found to ex-
list at the time.
I'VE have, as already announced,
authorized our diplomatic representa-
tives IN Europe to charter neutral
ships to bring back Americans wher-
ever this is possible and to utilize all
available space on all commercial
lines that are still operating.
VIII Accommodate 5000.
ITO such facilities will now be add
ed the accommodations furnished by
the above named transports. After
they have had their accommodations
enlarged as above stated, these six
ships will accommodate 5000 pas
sengers.
1T must constantly be remembered
that we have very meagre source to
draw upon for passenger carrying
Atlantic liners under the American
flag They are Of course continuing
their service. The only other boats
flying the American flag that are suit
able TO cross the Atlantic are the
coastwise vessels. These are con-
structed as freight carriers and pas
senger carrying is a mere incident to
their business. Their normal pas
senger carrying capacity is very small
and IL is only oy practically recon-
structing the interior and enlarging
the lighting. sanitary, eating and
other facilities that they can be made
to serve at all. This, OF course, great
" increases the difficulty of the prob
lem with which we have to deal"
The Sumner and Fitzpatrick are
army transports and will require little
overhauling. Provisions for stocking
the ships will be sent to Newport
News by Quartermaster Gen. Aleshire
Secy Garrison and Vice Pres
Franklin OF The White Star line con-
ferred today on the relief situation.
While no further information has
been received on the holding Of the
steamers ready to sail from the
French and English ports has been
received II is understood there will be
only a short delay.
A dispatch from Genoa states that
| 500 Americans have sailed for Amer
lea on the steamer Unadin. The navy
department said that after touching
at Falmouth, the cruiser Tennessee