Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1919-06-06

New York, June 6.-The establish
! ment of Government-control
Bureau of Shipping Information,
through which maritime interests of
the United States are advised daily
through official sources and without
cost, of the movements of practically
all the merchant ships of the world.
is an outgrowth of one of the ac-
tivities of the Navy Department dur
ing the war.
This bureau, conducted by what
is known as the Naval Communica-
tions Service. was instituted shortly
after this country entered the con-
| fiict. 1t was made necessary for
the reason that prior to that time
| there was no organized branch of
| the Government through which the
movement of ships could be obtained
| on short notice. The demands of the
Navy and War Departments. the
United States Shipping Board and
allied war interests required that
there be at hand at all times a care
fully revised record of all ships
not alone of their movements, but
details as to their tonnage, speed,
| specifications as to build, etc.
Open to Public
Under the direction of a naval Of
| fcer, with assistants recruited from
the marine departments of press as
sociations, daily and marine publica-
| tions, etc, the bureau was estab-
| lished and arrangements were at once
made for prompt and reliable dis
! patches from all parts of the world
concerning ship movements, the SER
vice embracing not only the facilities
| of the telegraph and cable but the
Government-controlled wireless as
well. 'r
| Its value during the war was in
estimable and. with the coming of
| peace and the efforts to build up
in this country an efficient merchant
marine, the bureau has thrown open
| to the public-and particularly to
| the ship owners, charters, shippers,
insurance interests and maritime
business generally, the facilities of
! it's vast and far-reaching service.
Tabs on all Ships
BY means of a card index a ques-
| tion relating to any ship can be
! promptly answered-and reliable in
| formation as to her sailing date, esti-
mated time of arrival at port of des-
| tination, location at sea or in port,
can be readily given.
1t is a service which prior to the
war was maintained in a similar
manner by many of the foreign
maritime nations-some of them much
smaller and having far less ships
than did this country. With a large
merchant marine, such as this coun-
try apparently desires, the value of
such service, marine men say, is
unquestioncd.
The Naval Communication Service
1 employs about $50 persons, all in
Navy uniform and under direction of
Lieutenant Commander r. B. Coff-
man. 1t issues daily and distributes
free of cost to more than 500 ship
ping firms, newspapers, Government
officials, maritime exchanges, ETC., a
bulletin of las pages carrying the
names of more than 10000 vessels
each name showing nationality, ton
mage, location or sailing date. Evil
dencing the demands for this infor-
nation the circulation of the bulletin
is increasing rapidly. Between the
hours of issue. the bureau keeps ship
| owners advised by telephone of radio
messages sent from ships at sea.
| Get Daily Reports
The practical sources of informa-
| ton from which the bulletin acquires