The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1917-02-27
Officers Of Crack Liner Yesterday
Commissioned As Officers Of
the Naval Reserve Crew En-
listed In Uncle Sans Service
ANOTHER OMNIBUS SIGN
..... OF WHAT MAY HAPPEN
Fastest Boat On the Pacific
Would Be Useful To Navy In the
Event Of HostiIities In Near Flu
ture Which May Be Expected
\ PREPARATIONS by the United
Stntes Navy that will make pos.

StnteS Navy that Will make pos.
49,. gible the conversion of the Hill
liner Great Northern into a scout erui.
ser in minimum time came TO light
yesterday. N.",f
The officers Of the liner yesterday re-
ceived commissions in the United States
naval reserves. 4 majority or tine men
in the deck and engine room forces
are also authOritatively reported TO have
been enlisted in the reserves, Yesterday.
The Great Northern itself Is a vessel
of the reserve feet Of the Navy. The
steps taken yesterday mean that the
vessel can be transferred 10 active ser.
| vice, Differed and manned by United
states naval officers and men, upon the
| proper order of the secretary Of the
navy. The delay between her retire
ment as a merchant vessel and her
commissioning as a ship Of war would
be confined to the time necessary 90
make the slight structural changes for
the mounting of light guns, and so
/ forth.
II Is believed that the headquarters
Of the Great Northern Pacific Steam.
ship Company, owners of the vessel,
are being kept in close touch with the
objects towards which the federal gov
eminent is working but which have not
yet been made public.
Now Lieutenant Commander
4 Captain A. Altman, commander OF
the vessel, yesterday received his com.
mission rs lieutenant commander In tho
naval reserves. His officers received
commissions for the ranks relHtivu m,
his own. The vessel Il saloon. uill6of.
/ ~. III al ..g n u
ris, chief engineer; Henry Esm0ha ~.
I. s. Mills, chief steward. -
The purser sand steward 'sdepartment
were not affected by the navy's new
interest in the vessel to the extent OF
the other divisions.
Neither officers of the vessels nor
naval officials viii give the exact nature
Of yesterdays actions in regard to the
personnel of the ship. None Of the Of
feers will say that the men were en-
| listed. .T..4 r.a
| A number of the men themselves,
however, reported that they were sworn
in to Uncle Sans service in the naval
reserves. .,.NEs& sNtEiata
Is Scout For Navy IA.
1.-THE Great Northern is n reserve
vessel of the navy stated Captain
Altman, on board his vessel, yesterday.
a. In case of war she would be a scout.
The officers were commissio ned In the
naval reserves and received the grade
of Lieutenant commander. The other
officers were graded accordingly. In
regard to the men the naval officers lust
took their names. -
Captain Amman, undoubtedly feeling
that the circumstances were unusual
enough to be left to the navy depart.
ment for explanation, avoided an Ell
nIanati0n of many features of yester.
days unexpected affair. He would not
admit that the men had been enlisted.
as they themselves reported, and would
not discuss the reasons for the commits
Sioning Of the officers at this time and
under these circumstances.
Not Compulsory
The enlistment OF the men was not
compulsory. II is understood that the
navy officers put the proposition square.
y before the crew and that a majority
the engine room and deck forces ,c-
cepted and took the oath.
One official of the vessel stated that
the question had been put TO him and
thnt he had declined enlistment for the
present. Captain Amman also men.
TONED the deck aud engine room forces
particularly when stating that "the
naval officers had only taken the names
of the men,"
1t was pointed out yesterday that
the mere taking OF names would mot
advance the navy department very far
IN any plans, $3.50
Other Vessels In Reserve
The Great Northern is apparently the
only vessel of the naval reserve ,eet
now IN port. There are others, how.
ever, whose conversion to the uses Of
the navy will affect Hawaii.