Evening star., 1921-01-22
i. S. COAST GUARD
MAY Be CRIPPLED
100000 Deduction as Bill
Passed House Would Cut
Force % Per Cent.

For want of less than one million
dollars the United States coast guard
service will be compelled to close a
large number-possibly half-of its
life-saving stations next summer and
lay up some of it's patrol vessels, un-
less the Senate increases the amount
named for pay and allowances allot-
ted that service in the suudry civil
appropriation bill as it passed the
House.
The entire coast guard personnel
now includes 1850 enlisted men, which
is the MINIMUM needed to maintain
it's PSI shore stations and the coast
guard cutters, patrol vessels etc. To
retain this force an appropria of
Sc. 900, 900 will be needed for the us
cal year of 1922, but if the figure of
Sc, 100000, as fixed by the House, is
allowed to stand. it il estimated that
the enlisted personnel will have to be
reduced to 2.SS5, loss Of 500 men, or
% per cent.
TIL. greater part of the shore sta
tions now operate with from seven to
nine men each. To handle boat IN
heavy sea at least seven men are
needed, and if the force has to be
reduced officers of the service say
thew will have no alternative but to
close a number of these life-saving
posts, leaving but two men at each
one to guard the governments prop
erty.
Same Situation Created.
Much the same situation would be
created in the seagoing force of the
service. it was learned today, if it
is found necessary to lay off almost
900 men, as the vessels are now
operating with as small crews as can
properly man them. officials pointed
out that while the full complement OF
a naval vessel requires men TOT
operating the guns, ammuhit ION
hoists and other operations of COM
batant nature, no such surplus Is car
red on a coast guard Vessei. anu
any substantial loss of its crew, usu-
ally from seventy to eighty men, Will
prevent it from putting to sea.
Although there are 210 commissions
authorized by law in the coast guard
service, it has at present but 2oo COM
missioned officers. Estimates nave
been made showing that efficient ao-
m,nistratiop of all the units Of the
service would require more than o'ooo
men, but that figure has never oeen
reached. Difficulty has been found
| in recent months in Keeping the en-
listed personnel up to 1850. due to the
high wages paid in industrial pur-
snjts. and now that labor conditions
bave become more favorable for re-
cruitine officials of the service may
not be able to take advantage OF them
because of a lack of money.
Ships without Crews.
savaral vessels already are laid up
instead of being out on patrol duty,
three Of which are in baltimore with
ont sufficient men to take them out
One of these has been used In the
mast to patrol Chesapeake bay. ana
another patrolled the North Carohna
sounds A third vessei Is nelhs =
naired but even if in condition couid
~ mt TO sea now for lack OF a
crew. oor,;t,
In former years most Of the recruits
for the coast guard service We're
vounr men with some training as
sai1ors. but during the last two years
II has been impossible to hnd many
of that experience, and any one OF
nroner physical and mental ability has
haan accented. To fit them for their
new duties a training station mas peen
established at New London. Conn.,
where efforts are made to give each
new man at least three months m
struction. 1t was pointed out To-Day
that with a reduced force none OF the
men in the pay of the service coulQ
be spared to be put in framing, ou.
viii have to be placed on vessels or IN
~ larger shore stations at once and
trusted with important duties.
In asking the Senate to INSIST on
ADDITION of at least 100000 to
the House figures, officers or the coast
~" ..''ard saryice have pointed out that
.,,a ,.,iue of vessels. including car,
.rnes assisted by that service during
the fiscaI wear of 1920 was S65,479,7o5.