The evening world., 1919-03-08


the proposed increase in the carrying
The protest is based on these
grounds:
FEst-The Levlathan. carrying ap-
proximately 10000 troops in campart-
ments, 1000 crew and the officers OF
the army forces, was crowded on the
last trip to the limit OF her accom-
modatlons.
second-It is absolutely essential in
the interest Of health and morale that
the troops. quartered at night below
decks In an atmosphere necessarily
foul, shall have opportunity to spend
all daylight hours on the decks
weather permitting. and the deck
space for this purpose is inadequate
with 10000 men on board.
Third-ln case OF disaster, which
would lead TO the necessity OF aban-
/, doning ship, II would he next 10 i'm
possible TO get 10000 soldiers and 1000
crew on the Leviathan in lifeboats
and on RATS. and there is no room
on the Leviathan for additional life
boats and RATS which would be OF
any use in an emergency.
WOULD MENACE HEALTH OF
ALL ON BOARD.
Fourth-It is only by the exercise
of extreme vigilance and rigid inspec.
tions and tie enforcement OF arbi-
trary sanitary rules that the spread
OF infectious disease can be prevent
cd on the Leviathan under condi-
tions attending the transport OF l0,-
900 soldiers. Influenza is prevalent on
all transports, diphtheria is a constant
menace. Half OF one OF the open
decks on the Leviathan during tho
last voyage was utilized as a hos
pital for pneumonia and tuberculosis
patients. With $1,000 men on board It
would be impossible TO enforce the
rules and regulations which now en-
able the overworked medical authori-
ties OF the ship 20 control, in a great
measure, the health OF the men III
their care,
Fifth-Whle there is little danger
Of the Leviathan encountering cond!-
tons which would cause her to sink
at sea, the fire menace is continual
" present. and the ship would be so
with $1,000 soldiers aboard,
as to appreciably hamper the erfec-
tlveness OF the fire-hghting facilities.
ties.
Sixth-The parents and wives Of
soldiers who went 10 France to fight
have the right TO expect that their
sons and husbands shall reach the
United states In the condition OF ply
steal fitness guaranteed by the medical
forces at the port OF dcbarka:ion.
Overcrowding OF transports viii dis
count these expectations.
Now, TO 20 into some details as to
the objections. Take tho matter OF
iodgment OF troops in sleeping quar-
ters.
Troops on the Leviathan sleep In
what are called "standee" bunka The
hunks are made fast In four-decp
tiers to uprights Of hollow pipe. The
canvas cot OF the man occupying the
lower bunk is only a few inches from
the floor. A fat man in the top bunk
by lying on his back and taking a
deep breath, can touch the deck above
him with his abdomen. The distance
from the base TO the tip OF the sup
porting columns OF the "standee'
hunks is about nine feet. Allowing for
the space between the bottom bunk.
and the fioor each OF the four soldiers
In a sandee section sleeps on a shelf
l less than two feet in height
A MURDEROUS PLAN FOR
"STANDEE" BUNkS.
II is now proposed. in pursuance OF
the plan TO increase the man-carry-
ing capacity OF the Leviathan, 10
fasten FIVE BUNKS to each OF the
standee uprights in the compart-
ments already given over TO troops