Evening star., 1915-05-13
would be . task requiring considerable

would De task requiring considerable
force.
The navy plans further to make use
Of the knowledge of the waters Of the
coast that is in the possession of the
guards. Should necessity drive a yes
sci OF the navy into any stream for
refuge or for other purpose, the coast
guard might be taken aboard pilot.
His business is to know every detail
Of the local waters. and he would be
the ideal man for the emergency.
The old revenue cutter service would
perform a more bel1igerent part on a
wartime program. In the first place. it
is found that these vessels are very
expert in the handling of mines. Every
hulks of derelicts. or of vessels that
are sunk in waters where they inter
fere with navigation, and blow these
into harmless pieces. The navy plans
in the laying of mines in time of war.
The bigger vessels of the coast guard
would be Immediately converted into
mine-layers in time Of war.
Six-pounders and rapid-fire guns are
the chief weapons OF offensive aboard
the Goa s
Weapons Of Offensive guard vessels
for the Coast Guard. peace re .''"v When N
war breaks out they are prepared to
take aboard four-inch guns. The
training OF officers and crew is strictly
military, and this would add about
l.5oo trained men to the ightins
forces at sea. Many of these might
be transferred direct into the navy and
prove themselves of great value But
aboard their own vessels there are
many services that they might perform
that would be very important
dor a1a
the destruction of the commerce of the
enemy. In establishing patrols of the
coasts they would be most effective.
They would look A little farther to sea
than may the guards along the shore.
They would be able to srapple single
handed with any enemy ship up to the
tropedo boat destroyer in size. and give
good account of themselves. But
finally. they are the very ships with
which to fight the submarine The rev
enue cutter feels no doubt of its abil-
ity to destroy submarine with its
six Founders. wherever periscope ap-
pears within range bly,
should war develop. an important part
in the hght against this new terror of
the seas would be borne by these little
vessels
While the coast guards are new to
the idea of participa ton in the arts
of war, the same may not he said of
the old revenue cutter service. Though
not a part of the navy. ii has never
happened that the United States has
engaged in war that the revenue cut
ters were not in it up to the hilt. Their
history is longer than that of the navy
itself, for there was a decade in the
early times when they were the only
representatives of the American fight
ing force af1oat.
The American navy disba nded at the
conclusion of the revolutionary war In
1890 Congress created the revenue cutter
uyto oir11
istence until it was fused the other day V
with the coast guard. A few years
after ii was born there We're ten ves-
sells in the service. There was no
of the west engaged in a maritime war
with France The revenue cutter serv-
ice bore the brunt of that war. The cut :
ter Pickering alone captured ten prizes
from the French. while the Eagle. a sim
liar vessel, took five prizes One of these
little American vessels distinguished il
self in these early times by capturing A
French ship of three times her size and
complement of men, In the war of 1872
the Seminole war. the Mexican war, the
of the navy, by order of the President
In the war with Spain the revenue cut :
ters saw some particularly active serv-
ice. The
Cutters Active Service experience
in the War With Spain. 81 ,'e 'ne sntn 1T.
Hudson was typical of the tasks accom-
plished and of the assistance that the
boats of the coast guard may render in
time Of war. The Hudson. under com
ma nd of Lieut.. Frank II. Newcomb. now
captain. was accommodating off the Cuba n
coast in May. 1898. in company with the
cruiser Wilmington and the torpedo hoat
Winslow. So ineffective was the marks
ma nship Of the Spanish gunners in the
Cuban forts that the Americans became
very Indifferent to their fire. 1t was be-
cause of this indifference that the Will
mngton and the Winslow entered Car