The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1919-08-08
Civilian Seamen in the World War;
What Men of Merchant Marine Did
BY DR.. j. G. H. Beaumont
Surgeon of the White Star Line.

! mems union. If Great Britain and
Ireland, led b. Captain Edward Tup-
per-men whc had been torpedoed
often and yet went back again to
make sure ttat England should never
sta rye.
The work OF the Merchant Marine
was sn quietly. so unostentatiously
done lhi5 comparatively few persons
ealize the vitality important part that
1t played II winning the war.
II was the seamen Of the Merchant
marina WIZ enabled Great Britain
tn recall her sons from the uttermost
ports Of the seven seas to answer the
defiant cha 'cnge of the Hun against
civilization. And. larer in the war,
It was these same seainen who en-
ab'ed America to make ner strength
felt across 5000 miles of ocean,
Apart from the huge armies carried
to and from the western front, mil
lions OF tons of munitions and stores
were transported. over 100 ships
pei day passed through the narrow
gateway guarded by the Dover patrol
alone. and there were many such
patrols. Five hundred and sixty ships,
a million and three-quarters tons.
were employed continually in carrying
troops and stores to France and the
various theaters of war. AS an aver
age. $4,000 tons of supplies and T.
600 personnel were carried daily to
France
At the beginning of the war the
British navy promptly hlockaded the
onemy's battleships and kept them
penned up in KEEL canal until the flnal
surrender. Britain's vast mercantile
fleet scattered all over the globe, was
unarmed and undefended. at the
mercy for a time of enemy cruisers
and raiders and later on Of Germany's
dastardly submarines.
Some 10000 British merchant ships
Of all sizes, including tugs and coast
ing veTscis with a total tonnage of
$1,000 900. offered a wide field for
the spirates and the losses in four
and half years reached tho stagger-
ing total Of 100000 tons. Two thou
sand four hundred and seventy-five
merchant ships and $40 fishing vessels
were sunk. Three thousand one hun
dred and forty-fve crews were cast
atrift. Merchant seamen TO the num-
her Of 1900 lost their lives In action,
total which does not include the
large body of officers and. men Serving
or. board warships auxjliaries and
other commissioned craft. nor 500
19etchani officers killed, Who had en-
listed n the Royal Naval reserve.
Al the outbreak OF the war the
i'"rS"nnsl cf he navy numbered 49,
0ea mon---tt ats close. $50 900, the
surplus ma riy having been drawn
from the Merchant Marine.
The grand total of ships that
uaversed ihe seas in organized con-
NoNs during the war was Sc, 900 Over
50 per celt II the great army of up
ward OF 100000 men which the
United states sent 10 Europe was car
ried across the Atlantic in ships I'M
der British control, and As per cent
OF the entire imports to France and
Italy during the war was conveyed
in tsii'ish bottoms.
haye no figures giving the quantity
of sores and food conveyed from
abroad to war arease. The White
Star line alone was responsible for A.
10000 tons Of cargo. besides 3d.
900 tons OF oil for the use of the OIL
burning ships OF the navy. The same
line gives also the foilPwing figures:
$4,000 tons lost BY tneny action: