The Idaho Springs siftings-news., 1918-09-06

ISAAVJ cargo ships Of all kinds IN july
1918 to a vast armada OF looo ln
July, 1919. This epitomizes the preolc'eo sro"u
In the service in coming year
From a vast armada of l,6Oo shlps OF Hi ni"
In July 1919 to the worlds greatest merchant
marine for all time to come. This epitomizes .ne
devout hope of every man In the transpor'auon
ssrvice. ,
The naval overseas transportation service ID
an outgrowth Of the recruiting for class NO. u
the naval reserve. II developed early IN tne
autumn Of last year when the urgent need iol
military supplies impressed the navy departure.
with the necessity OF giving separate ehuV "
the operation Of cargo ships There now are
200 officers and IL 900 men in this brancn OF the
navys service.
commander OF the navy Is supervisor OF tne
entire naval overseas transportation service WIN
headquarters at Washington. The New !ofA
division is under the supervision OF haSa' neu
tenant.
The rreat conflict raging in Europe has been
dsecr1bed as a war of transportation. 1t Is gen.
orally conceded that the war cannot be won WIN
out the American army. But the American army
at home is more than 5000 miles from the 'front.'
9he problem Of winning the war resolves NseI
therefore, into OF transportation, To remedy
Tho weak points in this means OF communication
the navy overseas transportation service was es-
tablished. Thus far from small beginning II
has overcome what for a while appeared 10 Do
nsurmountable obstacles, and 1t Is doing WORK
none In the army or navy.
For every man that the United States sends
to the front about four deadweight tons OF snip
ping must be set aside to maintain him. TO seno
him across without thus providing for his exis-
tence would be nothing short of a crime. 1t Is
the duty OF the navy overseas transportation serV-
Ice to see that there Is an ncessant now OF sup
plies to that Any interruption through lack
Of shipping or men to man ships would be dis
astYous.
Besides supplying the troops at the front, 1t is
the duty of the transportation service to fetch
necessities 10 the United States from other coun-
tries Navy vessels used to bring hemp. nj
trates manganese and chrome. Coal Is trans
ported to important manufacturing points In New
England to relieve railroad congestion.
American destroyers running about at high
speed In European waters are In constant need
Of fuel OIL which must be supplied by the trans
portation service from the oil fields Of the United
States or Mexico. All other sources Of supply are
controlled by Germany.
Already the United States has in Europe more
than 100000 men. By the end Of next year
there probably will be 100000 men on the other
side This. reckoning four deadweight tons for each
man. will mean that America will have to provide
100000 tons of shipping to supply these men,
Charles NJ. Schwab, director OF the shipping
board has said that he Is going to build 100000
deadweight tons Of ships In the coming year.
The aim Of the transportation service Is to be
ready to man and operate all or any OF the new
ships II the service have the necessary ad-
vance notice to p. ,nnel requirements there
need be hitch from this standpoint In the
number OF troops sent over. They will be amply
provided for after they arrive and they will be
brought back home at the close Of the war
The question OF manning this enormous array
of ships seems to be about solved by Edward a.
Hurley chairman Of the shipping board, who 10
reported TO have requested the secretary Of the
navy to begin at the training OF 600 ON
GERS and 10000 men to man the merchant ma
rne.
1t thus appears as II the navy may be asked to
man not only the war-zone Ships but those plying
among American seaports and to North and
South American ports. Naval officers would not
be surprised II It should mean eventually the
manning by the navy Of coal barges and tow
boatA
About 100 companies owned che American mer-
chant marine at the time thL United States en-
tered the war. Enormous profits were made In
the transportation Of essentials BY water. Any
old tub that would float worth almost her
weight In gold. Many abandoned ships were re-
paired and put into service. Some were raised
from the ocean. where they had lain for years
and were rebuilt. Coastwise steamships were
put into ocean service. Schooners and off-shore
barges took the place Of the coastwise vessels
America had at the beginning Of the war about
100000 deadweight tons Of shipping. Only 70
per cent Of this was available for ocean travel
h edition to any submarine losses America
may suffer she win have to provide perhaps H.
100000 tons to supply the troops 0vefseas and