The Elk Mountain pilot., 1918-09-05
|saza|

1915 to u vast armada of 15oo In
July. 1910. This epitomz IS the predicted gro"'"
tn the service In coming year.
From a vast armada of 1900 ships of all kinds
in July, 1919 to the wcrld's greatest merchant
marine for all time To come This epitomizes 'ne
devout hope of every in the transportation
service
The naval overseas transportation service -
an OutgrOwth OF the recruiting for class No. q ot
the naval reserve. 1t developed early IN the
autumn OF last year when the urgent need for
military supplies impressed the navy department.
with the necessity of giving separate entity I"
the operation of cargo ships. There now are
LOO officers and H. 900 men in this branch OF the
navys service.
A commander of the navy is supervisor OF the
entire naval overseas transportation service. win
headquarters nt Washington. The New YORK
division is under the supervision OF naval leu
tenant.
The great conflict raging In Europe has been
described us a war of transportation. II Is gen.
orally conceded that the war cannot he won with-
out the American army. But the American army
ut home Is more than 5000 miles from the front
The problem of winning the war resolves itseit,
therefore into one of transportation, To remedy
the weak points In this means of communication
the navy overseas transportation service was es-
tnbilshed. Thus far from n small beginning II
has overcome whit for while appeared to he
,nsu,rnountnbe obstacles. and II is doing n work
that for Importance and efficiency is second to
none In the army or navy.
For every man that the United States sends
the front about four deadweight tons OF ship
ping must be set aside to maintain him. To SEND
him across without thus providing for his exs-
tence would be nothing short of crime 1t Is
the duty Of the navy overseas transportation serv-
ice to see that there is an incessant flow OF sup
plies to that man. Any interruption through lack
Of shipping men to man ships would be dis
astrous.
Besides supplying the troops at the front. 1t Ii
the duty of the transportation service to fetch
necessities to the United States from other coun-
tries. Navy vessels are used to bring hemp nj
trates. manganese and chrome. Coal is trnns-
ported to important manufacturing points In New
England to relieve railroad congestion.
American destroyers running about Mt 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 1OOOOOO men. BY the end Of next year
there probably will be 100000 men 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 1OOOOOOO
deadweight tons of ships in the coming year.
The aim Of the transportation service Is to be
ready to and operate all or any OF the new
ships II the service can have the necessary nd
vance notice as to personnel requirements there
need be no hitch from this standpoint In the
number of troops sent over. They will be amply
provided for nfter they arrive and they will be
brought back home ut the close of the war.
The question OF manning this enormous array
OF ships seems to be about solved by Edward ii.
Hurley, chairman Of the shipping board. who is
reported to have requested the secretary of the
navy to begin at once the training OF 22,OOO off,
GERS and 100000 men to man the merchant ma
rine.
1t thus appears 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 1t should mean eventually he
manning by the navy of coal barges and tow
boats
About 100 companies owned the American
chant marine at the time the United Suites
tered the war. Enormous profits were made in
the transportation OF essentials by water. Any
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
Sarses toos tie place OF the cOastwise vessels.
America had ut the beginning of the war about
Ao0a1oO deadweight tons Of shipping. Only 10
per cent Of this WINS available for ocean travel
In edditfon to any submarine losses America
may suffer she will have to provide perhaps H.