River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1918-09-05

about 100000 tons for coastwise West Indian
and South American trade.
The navy overseas transportation service
started operations last autumn It's first act was
TO take over II oil tankers to supply ships with
fuel oil. In the emergency it necessary hur-
riedy to commission the shippers who had been
running ships under civilian auspices, put them
into lieutenant commanders uniforms and SEM
them on their way with a book OF navy regula-
lions. 1t is strange that in the circumstances
the average reserve officer was more or less
"in the air.
The service starting in New York and Nor
folk was extended to Philadelphia 1t now is
expected that 80 additional offices viii soon De
opened, including those on the other side OF the
Atlantic. The navy overseas transportation serv-
ice must not only operate it's ships, but 1t must
see that they operated at their maximum
efficiency They must be loaded in record time
They must carry record cargoes They must go
across in record time They must arrive on the
other side in safety. The sinking of one ship
would mean not only the loss of the cargo she
carrying at the time, but of all other cargoes
that she might have been called upon to carry
on other trips.
Officers Of the service figure that if by i'm
proved efficiency in the engine room they can run
ten ships across the ocean at one knot better
speed than that at which inferior engineroom
crews would put them over one ship has been
created. In like manner if they can put an adj
ships an additional ship has been created.
The transportation officers figure also that
night and day ship costs about 500 an hour.
In other words, every hour saved to ship is $500
gained A battle may be lost to the allies through
the sinking of cargo ship.
In the matter of defense of cargo ships at
the service places particular stress Upon these
four elements: sharp lookout, ability to
maneuver. speed and guns. Expectation of life
is increased 300 per cent by guns on merchant
men. They force the submarine to operate under
the surface of the water where its speed is
slower and its deck guns are useless.
The situation today in New York and the other
ports of embarkation in regard to the operation
of ships is more or less complicated. Not the
navy alone is operating ships, but the shipping
board, the 'quartermasters department and the
navy supply department. Besides this, the ship
ping board assigns ships to private owners to
operate ami certain ships manned by the navy
are assigned to private owners. The general opn-
ion with regard to these ships seems to be that
under current labor conditions, navy recruiting
offers the best and the only real guaran-
tee for manning most of the great new fleet of
cargo ships under construction
There has been disposition in certain quar-
tiers to belittle the cargo-ship service The no.
ton prevails that there is romance in some of
the old tramp ships being used in this service
In answer it is shown by the men in the service
that it is not only, the most useful but the most
interesting service in the war.
Outside of the destroyers the men-o'-war carry
ing freight probably will be the only warships
that will see active service in this combat AS
clinching argument, this service is about the only
one that constructive and not destructive 1t
is laying the foundation for a great American
merchant marine after the war.
That America did not have an immense mer
chant marine at the outbreak of the was due
to several causes. Confederate raiders dealt it
severe blow. Metal ships and the development
of railroads followed. Then the blocking
in congress of all legislation for such merchant
marine. The La Toilette act was the blow that
killed the project
The transportation pressure due to Americas
entry into the brought the realization of the
inadeQuacy of the number of American officers
in the merchant. marine. As the first step toward
supplying the deficiency, great school was es-
tablished at Pelham Bay for the training of deck
officers In addition to the valuable nucleus of
young officers already given to the naval reserve
from this school, accommodations have been pro-
vided on greatly enlarged scale for thousands
more. Here the take Two months intensive
practical and theoretical training, followed by
two months of real experience at sea. The ge5ets