Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1917-02-05
WHAT THE NAVY
MAY HAVE TO DO
Small Ships Can Be Used to
Convoy Merchantmen and Bat
tleships Reserved to Re-
pei Attack
BY A NAVAL EXPERT

~ The event OF tnlS country joining WITH
the enemies of Germany, II would appear
| that the principal work at first will devolve
| on the navy. Also, IL would seem that there
| is little to be feared from any force Ger
many may send TO these shores. Germany
! has plenty TO do near at home and our ports
need fear little from anything Germany
| may do. The submarine war on merchant
shipping cannot be seriously added to. as
submarines cannot be built in n day, and
Germany has undoubtedly been sending
out her force OF submarines as rapidly as
completed
II would seem that our work would be to
relieve the naves of the belligerents from
the police Of the sea so that all their efforts
may be used near at home. We would at
once patrol the waters wherever there would
be chance OF raider or a submarine. and
the Allied ships now doing this important
work would at once be added to those pro-
tecting the coasts and the shipping in the
ne!ghborhood Of England France and the
Mediterranean. Thus, they could use every
effort TO sink the submarines as fast as
built and preserve their ships to supply
necessary food and war supplies.
The efficient Bureau of Operations Of
| the Navy Department has been planning
for two years for just this emergency and
all Is ready for action when the word once
goes forth All merchant ships of this
country have been examined by board of
naval officers and all are tabulated and
Just what Is needed for each one to do
the work required IS arranged. so that they
could be quickly added to the force of the
navy and Immediately started out to assist
in the work,
Relieving the Allied Navies
All small craft has been listed, and what
each one may do to assist the navy has
been mapped out Each has its allotted
duty, according TO its power and speed,
The many small, swift motorboats from
the Great Lakes are ready to be trans
ported to the ocean, each for it's work.
The battleshps of the better and more
modern class will be kept intact and safe
for later emergency as there is no rea-
son to risk our heavy fighters where sub
marines may be plentiful The searching
and conveying Of merchantmen will all he
done by the lighter and less valuable craft
as there Is nothing to fear on any ocean
but the submarines. The destroyers are inn
medately available, and on these will fall
the bulk of the work until merchant ships
have been fitted with quick-frng guns and
may assist in searching the ocean for raid
ers and submarines. Also, it Is likely that
all ships bound for European ports will
have escorts of armed ships, which will
turn them over to English or French crus-
ers and dcstroyers when near the other
side.
What the navy must do at once then is
TO put every ship of the destroyer type In
commission and every craft it has less than
the best battleships at work at once in re-
heVlng the forces of England and France
on the ocean. This means that nearly every
navy officer on shore duty will at once go
10 sea and that their places will be filled
by retired officers. All this has been ar
ranged long ago and each officer knows his
station in time of emergency. 1t will ser-
ousy handicap work at navy yards for a
time, but the emergency for the smaller
Snlps VIII exist 1t once and must be met,
while the later emergencies will be handled
as they arNe Even with the use of all Of
hcers on shore, the navy will be woefully
short in its commissioned personnel and
every officer will have to do three mems
work as long as he may last. as he is quite
accustomed to do at times Where the en-
lsted men are to come from, goodness
knows, unless the merchant marine sends
fewer ships to sea. There seems no need
or this change as few of our ships 90 70
the war zone anyway and the others will
be more needed than ever TO carry freight
all over the world
After the destroyers are fitted out there
comes the question Of the MOSQUITO craft ~
which the navy will need at least a thou
sand. All of these craft are manned b,,
ciVillans' who use them either for fishing
or harbor work in the way of business or
else by owners who use them for pleasure
IL Is those pleasure boats that are met
important Tor the navy at once, as thew
are the submarine chasers. Many of the
owners will themselves at once g1 ~ sno sme
for the good cause and will do fine worls
as many have been trained and have haan
TO maneuvers during the last two sr,mp,ors
Ihose VINO do not 20 themselves will turn
lnelr az DoatS over to the Government for use
or VIII sell them, so that a swarm Of tbas,
important craft will soon be available mr.
Nided the crews may be obtained ia man
them. " man