The Washington herald., 1918-01-31
GERMAN SHIPS
TAKESAMMIES
ACROSS OCEAN
Eighteen Vessels, Including
Vaterland, Now in U. S.
Transport Service.

Over 100000 tons Of German ship
ping are now In the transport SER
vice of the United States.
Every enemy vessel seized by this
government has been overhauled
and put in operation. Remarkable
records In repairing the, great fleet
Of Teutonlc liners were made by
American navy yards and ship
yards.
Many of the confiscated merchant
men already have carried troops
and supplies TO France. Several
round trips have been made by
some OF the former German ships.
The vaterland made better speed
under American engineers than the
Germans ever got out Of her.
Giant plants to provide drydock-
ing facilities for. the mammoth en-
emy steamers are under construc-
tion along the Atlantic coast.
Daniels Pleased.
Secretary of the Navy Daniels last
night paid high tribute to the Ameri-
can engineers who made possible the
use of the enemy tonnage In record
time. The Germans thought they had
left the Vaterland unfit for further
service, said the Secretary. A deter
mined effort was made by the Ger
man crews to damage all the war
bound vessels beyond hope of repair.
Eighteen of the seized liners landed
thousands of American troops and
great cargoes of supplies on the other
side.
The former Vaterland, now the Le-
viathan, headed the fiotilla. The
other transports were the Covington.
Cincinnati, President Lincoln. Presi-
dent Grant. Powhatan. America.
Madewaska, George Washington,
Mount Vernon. Agamemnon. Aetolus.
Mercury, Pocahontas, Huron, Anti
gone and two former Austrian steam
ers.
The Baron Won Steuben and the
Baron De Kalb, formerly the German
converted cruisers Kronprinz Wilhelm
and the Prinz Eitel Friedrich. also are
engaged in active service. it was an
nounced yesterday. The Wilhelm
and Prinz Eitel sought refuge In
Hampton Roads after commerce raid
ing voyages in the Atlantic and Pa
cific.
To make it certain that the Water
land could not be used, she was left
in a state of complete wreck in the
interior, when the crew was taken off.
By a new process of welding and
other astonishing engineering feats,
the naval lieutenant assigned to the
job virtually rebuilt the engines.
Many Of the complications and in
tracies Of the machinery were re-
moved. Practical American parts took
their place.
Rebuilt Ship Record.
The nations highest engineering
authorities declared, after an ex-
haustive inspection. that the levia-
than was a far better ship than
formerly.
The same young officer who re-
built the Vaterlands engines was
placed in charge of her machinery
for service as a transport. After her
bottom had been scraped and paint
ed, he ran her across and back at
a rate of speed two knots faster
than her original owners ever made
with her. One round trip from New
York to France was completed with
in eleven days, a high naval officer
stated.
All of the seized liners are manned
by naval crews.
1.-The Germans thought they had de-
stroyed their ships continued the
Secretary, but they are all available
now. They are being used in trans
port and other service. The navy is
using most of this tonnage. The re-
mainder is engaged in the service OF
other gov ,rnment departments"
Asked il 1t was mainly on this avail
able tonnage that Secretary Baker
based his forecast OF 10000 American
troops in France by Spring and 1,5OO.-
900 before the end of the year, Sec
retary Daniels said:
"This tonnage is OF great help to
the War Department in sending troops
to France faster than was possible
when the expeditionary forces first
were sent across"