, 1918-09-05
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about 100000 tons for coastwise, West Indian
and South American trade.
The navy overseas transportation service
started operations last autumn. Its first act was
to take over u oil tankers to supply ships with
fuel oil. In the emergency 1t was necessary hur-
rfedly to commission the shippers who had been
running ships under civilian auspices, put them
into lieutenant commanders uniforms and send
them on their way with a book of navy regula-
lions. 1t is not strange that In the circumstances
the average new 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 will soon be
opened. including those on the other side of the
Atlantic. The navy overseas transportation serv-
Ice must not only operate its ships, but 1t 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 one ship
would mean not only the loss Of the cargo she
was 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 II 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 engine-room
crews would put them over, one ship has been
created. In like manner, If they can put an adj
ditional 10 per cent of cargo on each of the ten
ships an additional ship has been created.
The transportation officers figure also that
night and day a ship costs about 500 an hour.
In other words, every hour saved to a ship is 500
gained. A battle may be lost to the allies through
the sinking of a cargo ship.
In the matter of defense of cargo ships at sea
the service places particular stress Upon these
four elements: A 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 10 the operation
of ships is more or less complicated. Not the
navy alone is operating ships, but the shipping
board, the q-uartermaster'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 navy
are assigned to private owners. The general opin-
ion with regard to these ships seems to be that,
under current labor conditions, navy recruiting
offers the best means and the only real guaran-
tee for manning most Of the great new feet Of
cargo ships under construction.
There has been a disposition in certain quar-
tiers to belittle the cargo-ship service. The no
ton prevails that there Is no romance In some of
the old tramp ships being used in this service.
In answer 1t is shown by the men in the service
that 1t 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 a
clinching argument, this service is about the only
one that Is 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 war was due
to several causes. Confederate raiders dealt IL n
severe 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 was the blow that
killed the DrOtect.