The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1917-12-13

= that concession TO common use and
safety has only recently been made.
| Before, all our troop ships had -four
commanders: (I civilian master.
CD a quartermastor. CD military
I commander, and (a) n naval com
, mander. Repeated protests against
! the resultant confusion Of such con
, flict Of authority finally secured, but
only very recently, the designation Of
the naval commander ms sole and su.
preme captain in the operation of n
troop ship.
Only at one of the four American
ports from which troops are being
transported today is there any proper
system Of inspection. At one OF the
main embarkation ports ships are be-
ing used for transport which have had
no inspection by any competent agents
since they were commandeercd from
the merchant fleet, Take the case Of
the Antilles, which was torpedoed on
her return trip. The reports show
that the vessel was without single
water-tight compartment above the
water line. Had she been hit while
going to France with New England
troops, we should not be able to boast
today that no troop ship has yet been
lost.
The shortage of ships today is seri.
Gus enough, but the chaotic condition
Of our transport service is such that
we are not making full use Of the
shipping facilities available. Ships
are sailing frequently with their ac-
commodations for troops empty. owing
to the inability Of the Quartermaster
Generals Department, as organized
today, to do anything on time. Ships
have returned from France with sup
plies sent over for the American Ex-
pcditionary force still on board, be-
cause the confusion at the overseas
base made it impossible TO empty the
ship without a long delay in the return
trip. Confusion and conflict of au-
thority at the embarkation bases on
this side of the Atlantic has reached
point when it is impossible to estimate
with any degree of certainty when n
ship will sail. There are cases Of
recent record where ships were held
here idle in port from seven days to
three weeks. Officers Of the Army and
Navy who know something about ship
ping are authority for the statement
that these delays and similar short
comings in our transport service have
brought about condition where we
are using less than half the shipping
facilities now available for the trans
portation of troops to France.
There is simple remedy for exist
ing troubles in our transport service
which the Secretary of War has refus-
ed thus far to resort TO, even If he
has discovered and considered it. The
remedy is the substitution of plain
clothes experts who know the shipping
from top TO bottom for khaki clad
amateurs who do not know the ship
ping business at the top or the bottom.
What Daniel Willard has done for the
of troops on land man
- tv, hA oh
world can do for troop transportation
,vorseas.
Such a man should be in supremr
harge at every embarkation base, and
'ach should be under the general di-
ection of shipping expert stationed
It Washington and responsible 10 the
hief Of staff Of the Army. The gen.
raj officers Of the Army now in COM
land of the bases should be relieved
( duty for which they are not fitted
nd assigned to command the conccn-
ration camp connected with each base
he fitting out and repair Of ships
hould be turned over TO the shipping
xperts and the Navy left in exclusive
barge of the operation Of all troop
hips, for it amounts today TO fighting
heir way through the danger zone.
Once we have corps Of Daniel Will
ards Of the sea in charge Of the ports
( embarkation and debarkation, ships
viii be repaired and loaded and un-
oadod on time. We shall also have
roper inspection service in operation.
which will greatly reduce the risks at
ca. Instead Of using only four Allan
ic ports, we shall be using twice that
umbcr Instead Of using only gov
rnment piers we shall be using as
lany private piers in as many ports
$ we need TO insure maximum Of
peed and safety in transportation Of
oops overseas.
Our transport service today liz .
,andal and disgrace 10 the Govern
lent and people Of the United States.
Thy should we wait until troop ship
Is been sunk at sea with all on board,
,anrraptzo the ubota sarviea and