The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-08-09
's|N HERE is scarcely any legisla-
ton now awaiting enactment
by Congress more generally


Assistant Secretary of the Treasury
Byron II. Newton when SrN oorrc-
spondent asked him to explain the new
plan for insurlng safety In navigation.
AS Mr.. Newton has charge of both
services and has made in the course of
his work very comprehensive and
careful study of their needs and attain
ments he speaks with authority.
"The bill to create the coast guard"
Mr. Newton continued. passed the SEN
ate unanimously, has received the favor
able Endorsement of the House Com
mlttee on Interstate and Foreign Com
merce and IL now on the calendar
awaiting the action of the House. am
glad to say there is every prospect that
It will become law without great de-
lay.
"Thc creation of the coast guard will
be a big step forward in the saving.
along our seaboards. of life and prop
erty and will in every way greatly i'm
prove and increase the efficiency of the
two services Il will incorporate into one.
when it j. in full operation II the
Government will provide sufficient cut
tiers for the Coastwsc steamship lanes.
so that they may always keep within
easy wireless range of each other and
of the life saving stations ashore. there
should rarely be instances in which
vessel in distress could not be reached
by one or two cutters and II close
enough inshore by life saving crew
before laundering. unless her condition
was So serious that she went down. like
the Empress Of Ireland. within a few
minutes after sending out her first call
for help.
Few people who read of or witness
the deeds of daring of the men realize
how the life saving service has been
hampered In development by existing
conditions. 1t is really remarkable that
1t has done as well as it has in recent
years and that it accomplshes so much
in the saving of lives and property in
view of its many handicaps.
"As a matter of fact the proposed
coast guard is really only getting back
to first principles with improvements
cutter and life saving services were
one.
1.-THE revenue cutter service was
founded in 1890 and has reason to be
proud of its early history. as it was the
first regularly organized armed mari
time service of the Government. 1t has
taken a very conspicuous part in every
81.
has been engaged and It's military status
has been fixed by Congress.
Some years ago when Capt. $ |.
Kimball, now general superintendent If
the life saving service. was chief of the
revenue cutter service the two ser
vices were undivided But in those
days the service was in all respects
limited in character, and the men were
poorly paid. Thus, although the men
performed heroic work, the results were
not satisfactory.
"About thirty-five years ago Capt.
Kimball conceived the idea Of dividing
the service, at least temporarily, into
two sections for tie purpose of thor
oughly organizing, classifying and
establishing the life saving service. This
met with Government approval and h.
was detached from the revenue cutter
service and made superintendent. Since
that time he has done faithful work in
training the men, classifying their
duties and building up the service
generally. In this work he has been
helped by the officers of the revenue
cutter service, who were detailed as
inspectors and administers.
After the division of the services the
revenue cutter service also went on
improving in strength and usefulness,
most of its duties being in the nature
OF saving life and property and being
very much akin to the duties of the life
saving service in that respect, The
chief difference was that the revenue
cutters went 10 sea to the relief of
ships in distress, saved cargoes and
passengers, picked up waits and
destroyed derellcts, in addition to their
duties in time of peace Of looking after
smuggers and pirates and protecting
the revenues of tae Government, while
the life saving service had its stations
on the coasts and was called upon to
act generally after ships had been
wrecked off shore and lives endangered
by storms or Carelessness.
1.-THE life saving service having thus
been developed and perfected, the
officers and men of the TWO services con-
cluded nor long ago that in the interests
OF economy and efficiency of adminstra-
ton the time had come when ii was adj
visable to rcunite the two branches. In
asmuch as the present revenue cutter
service is a military body and the re-
united service is to be a part of the mill
itary force of the country and to be sub
ject To the navy in time of war, OF
when in the judgment of the President
that is desirable, it was decided to call
the consolidated organization the coast
guard, which, considering the duties to
be performed is generally regarded as
very appropriate title
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