Evening star., 1926-03-04
SPEED NEW PLANS
FOR COAST GUARD
Officials Start at Once to OBJ
tain 40 Boats and 5
Planes Authorized.

Swinging into immediate action on
the program authorized in the de-
ficiency bill signed today by President
Coolidge. the Coast Guard will rush
construction so as to put into opera
ton against the rum fleet as soon as
possible five larger destroyers, 35
larger patrol boats. 100 feet in length,
and five amphibian plane. o. me
Looming type, now In use by the
Navy.
1t Is planned TO have the new
equipment in service during the late
Summer. or early Fall. so as to be
able to strengthen the present anti
rum fleet tor battle with another Win.
ter. Rigors Of the present season have
, increased the casualty list In the
Coast Guard to an alarming extent.
figures revealed today. showing an in
crease of $50 per cent In the total
number of deaths for 1925, as against
1924.
In line with the policy Of carrying on
the rum patrol regardless of weather
or season, and of combining the many
functions of the Coast Guard in one
type of vessel, the administration also
has introduced in Congress bills which
would authorize construction Of 10 ad-
ditional first class seagoing cutters.
Hearings on these bills, introduced by
Senator Jones of Washington and
! Representative Parker of New York
are expected to open shortly.
Seeks Navy Destroyers.
Preparing to put into effect the de-
ficiency bill program, Rear Admiral
F. c. Billiard. commandant Of the
Coast Guard, held a conference with
Admiral E. w. Eberle, chief Of naval
operations, and arrangements have
been made for the turning over Of five
of the Navy destroyers of a larger
size than were first transferred to the
rum war. The former vessels were Of
$50 tons. These Ave will be of 1000
tons each. They are of the inter
mediate size, as the standard Navy
destroyer today is 1,240 tons.
| The ships will be reconditloned to
Join the service along with the 20
former Navy destroyers already flying
the Coast Guard flag at the Philadel-
phia Navy Yard. Comdr. H. G.. Ham
let, who was in charge OF the recon-
ditioning Of the former destroyers,
has been ordered to the Philadelphia
yard, and will supervise the recondi-
tioning.
Bids will be asked and contracts let
IOT lHC COuSLk VI thC 90 AiCW
l00-foot patrol boats as soon as pos
sible.
The five amphibian planes will be
purchased from the same company
which manufactured the type used by
both the Navy and by Comdr. McMil-
Ian in his polar expedition. Where
they will be thrown into action has
not as yet been disclosed. One lone
seaplane is now in action under Coast
Guard officers along the Massachu.
sets coast.
High Praise for Men.
"The Coast Guard must have
larger. sturdier and more habitable
craft" said a communication of the
Coast Guard concerning the new
bills now before Congress for the 10
new cruis q cutters, ito back up and
assist the tiny patrol craft now
being used for purposes they were
not intended for. The mission Of the
patrol boats was to break up a 12-to-
20-mile offshore rum row. They have
ably done so. The battle front has been
forced offshore and the Coast Guard
can and will completely break up rum
running, but it Is unfair to require the
task to be done at the peril of human
life
While the small 75-foot patrol
boats have suffered severely. even the
3O0-foot destroyers have been
damaged by the storms. anchors
have been washed away. steel plates
twisted until the ship leaked. rivets
sheered. and lifeboats washed over
board. During the calendar year
1924 only Coast Guard men were
drowned, 1t was disclosed by records
today, as compared with ~ during
1925. The percentage of deaths in
the service was shown to be stlll
on the increase for the first two
months of this year.