Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1918-09-12

about 100000 tons for -coastwise, West Indian
and South American trade.
The navy transportation service
started operations last autumn. It's first act was
to take IL oil tankers supply ships with
fuel oil. In the emergency it was necessary hur-
riedIy to commission the shippers who had been
running ships under civilian auspices. put them
into lieutenant commanders uniforms and SEND
them their way with book of navy regula-
tfons. 1t is not strange that in the circumstances
the average new reserve officer was more or less
Sin 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 be
opened. including those the other side of the
Atlantic The navy overseas transportation serv-
ice must not only operate its ships. but it must
see that they are 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 ship
would mean not only the loss of the cargo she
carrying at lie time, but of all other cargoes
that might have been called upon carry
other trips.
Officers of the service figure that If by i'm
proved efficiency in the engine room they run
ten ships across the at knot better
speed than that at which inferior engine-room
would put them over, ship has been
created. In like manner. If they put adj
dtional 10 per cent Of cargo each of the ten
ships 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 clements A sharp lookout. ability to
maneuver, speed and guns Expectation of life"
is increased 300 per cent by guns merchant
They force the submarine 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 quartermaster's department and the
navy supply department. Besides this the ship
ping board assigns ships to private owners to
operate, and certain ships manned by the
are assigned to private owners. The general opin-
ion with regard to these ships seems to be that.
under labor conditions. navy recruiting
offers best means and the only cuarar,-
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-shp service The
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
Outside of the destroyers the men-o'-war carry
ing freight probably will be the only warships
that will active service in this combat. As
clinchng argument this service is about the only
that constructive and not destructive
laying the foundation for great American
merchant marine after the war.
That America did not have immense
chant marine the outbreak of the
to several causes Confederate raiders dealt 1t a
blow Metal ships and the development
of railroads followed. Then came the blocking
in congress OF all legislation for such a merchant
marine. The La Toilette act the blow hat
killed the project
The transportation pressure due to Americas
entry into the brought the realization of the
fnadequacy of the number of American officers
In the merchant marine. As the first step toward
supplying the deficiency. a great school was es-
tabIished at Pelham Bay for the TRIMMING of deck
officers In addition the valuable nucleus OF
young officers already given to the naval reserve
this school, accommodations have been pro
vided greatly enlarged scale for thousands
more. Here the mer take two months intensive
practical ans Theoretical training followed BY
! two months OF real experience NJ sea The cadets