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Sunday, May 18, 2014

Daniels’ Plan to Put Naval Ships and Sailors to Work in Times of Peace, 1914



The photo of Josephus Daniels is from the University of North Carolina student yearbook, 1920 (http://www2.lib.unc.edu/ncc/ref/unc/cq/josdaniels.html). After seeing America through World War I as Secretary of the Navy, Daniels returned to North Carolina. He was editor of the News & Observer, Raleigh.


The U.S.S. Hector, shown anchored off New York City, Oct. 3, 1911. The Hector, was a collier, a ship that carried coal for other naval ships. Built in 1909, it was 385 feet long with one smokestack aft, two masts, and five kingpost pairs with coaling booms. Photo from the Department of the Navy, Naval Historical Center, Washington, D.C.



From the May 17, 1914, issue of The Sun, New York City

Plan to Use U.S. Naval Vessels in Passenger and Freight Service

Secretary Daniels Points Out Possibility of His Novel Ideas for Fast Cruisers and Other Craft in Time of Peace

Senator Weeks of Massachusetts not long ago interested his colleagues in submitting to the Senate a resolution in which he proposed that the nation should engage in a novel business undertaking. The plan which the Senator asked Congress to approve was to use the United States cruisers Binghamton, Chester, Salem, Columbia and Minneapolis for carrying for hire mail, passengers and freight to South American ports through the Panama Canal.

The Senator pointed out that we are confronted with the prospect of soon having on our hands a great isthmian canal, which has cost the country the price of an empire, and no international commerce to carry through it. We are building it, as matters stand, largely for the benefit of Great Britain and other foreign countries. The use of naval vessels in the manner suggested, the Senator affirmed, would give us an entering wedge in the South American trade, which we need, and there would be no question about tolls in their case, for they are Government vessels.

It is pointed out that the cruisers named in Senator Weeks’s proposition are not of any particular fighting value. They are speedy, unarmored cruisers intended for scouting purposes, and of rather problematical value even for that use. Their employment as scouts, if war were to break out, would not be affected by their service in the commercial manner proposed.

As Senator Weeks is a graduate of the Naval Academy, well versed in naval affairs, and friendly to the navy, besides being a successful business man, his plan has received serious consideration. The Senate referred the resolution to the Committee on Naval Affairs, which is now studying it.

When the Senator introduced his resolution it was not generally known in Congress that it had Administration inspiration and that the real author of the proposition was the Secretary of the Navy, who is firmly of the opinion that the cost, as well as the efficiency, of the navy is such that some efforts should be made to put some of its ships into practical use in time of peace as well as war.

Ever since Mr. Daniels took office he has been hoping that some time or other during his administration the navy would assume functions in time of peace that are not now ascribed to it and render it of still greater value, in his opinion, to the country at large. The plan as outlined by Senator Weeks seems to Mr. Daniels to present the best means to this end. In the course of a recent interview on the subject he said:

“In my opinion it is quite practicable by the use of naval vessels to carry out the purpose indicated in Senator Weeks’s resolution, and the following vessels will be available for the service: the St. Louis, Charleston, Milwaukee, Columbia, Minneapolis, Salem, Chester, Buffalo, Rainbow, Ancon, Christobal, Hector, Mars, Vulcan, Cyclops, Neptune and the Nanshan.

“The St. Louis, Charleston, Milwaukee, Columbia and Minneapolis are fast cruisers; the Salem and Chester are fast scout cruisers; the Buffalo and Rainbow are transports; the Ancon and Cristobal are steamers employed by the Panama Railroad Company, to be turned over to the Navy Department, and the others are naval colliers*.

“The cruisers are suitable for carrying only a small number of male passengers—from 15 to 20 each—and could not be fitted for carrying bulky freight without interfering materially with their military value, but they could carry the mails and a limited amount of express freight and parcels, about 150 tons each.

“The Buffalo, Rainbow, Ancon, and Cristobal are suitable for carrying a limited number of passengers and any kind of freight. The Buffalo could carry 20 first class passengers and 4,000 tons of freight; the Rainbow 25 passengers and 2,500 or 3,000 tons of freight; the Ancon and the Cristobal each 74 first class passengers and between 10,000 and 11,000 tons of freight.

“The naval colliers are not suitable for carrying passengers but are well adapted to a freight service, the first three carrying from 6,500 to 10,000 tons each; the two of the Cyclops class from 10,000 to 12,500 tons of freight and 2,900 tons of fuel oil in bulk each, and the Nanshan about 3,000 tons.

“The distance from New York to Valparaiso via Panama and Callaco is 4,666 miles, and each of the fast cruisers going 15 knots could cover that distance, allowing 24 hours for delays incident to passage through the canal, in 13 days 23 hours; or make one round trip without stop except at the canal in 27 days 22 hours.

“The distance from New Orleans to Valparaiso via Panama and Callaco is 4,087 miles, and the time for the same vessels to make one round trip without stop except at the canal is 24 days, 17 hours.

“The distance from Panama to Valparaiso via Callaco is 2,652, miles and the same vessels can at 15 knots cover the distance in seven days, nine hours, or make one round trip in 14 days, 18 hours.

“The other vessels are slower, and will sustain a speed of 12 knots, except the Nanshan, which can be counted on for 10 knots.

“Bu the use of the Charleston, St. Louis, Columbia and Minneapolis, a fat, but very expensive mail service, with accommodations for a limited number of male passengers, could be easily maintained between Panama, Guayaquil, Mollendo, and Valparaiso, with weekly sailings from Panama. A far less expensive service could be maintained by the use of the Salem, Chester, Columbia, and Minneapolis. These boats would be best for quick delivery of mails to the South American countries on the west coast and to Argentina, Bolivia, Uruguay and Paraguay.

“There is a daily railroad express service from Valparaiso to Buenos Ayres and Montevideo via the Transandean Railway. The time from Valparaiso to Buenos Ayres by rail is about 60 hours, and to Montevideo 72 hours. Allowing four days for the delivery of mails from New Orleans to Panama and 11 days for delivery from Panama to Valparaiso, the mails from the United States would reach Buenos Ayres in 17 and a half days and Montevideo in 18 days.

“The time from Liverpool to Buenos Ayres by mail steamers running in connection with the Royal Mail Steam Packet Company is 22 days and to Montevideo 21 days on a weekly schedule. From New York to the same ports via existing lines the time is 24 to 23 days respectively, with a weekly schedule. There is at the present time a weekly mail and passenger service between New Orleans and Colon. If it should be found desirable to run the mail steamers from New Orleans to Valparaiso it could be done by the addition of another cruiser, but at a very greatly increased cost.

“For a service from New Orleans the Buffalo, Rainbow, Ancon and Cristobal could be used, insuring a sailing every 14 days.

“In addition a freight line can be maintained between New York and Valparaiso, using the five large colliers, which would insure a sailing every 12 days.

“If the vessels mentioned above for the New Orleans trade were combined with the freighters a mixed service could be maintained which would insure a steamer from New York every seven days.

….

“The cost of changes necessary to fit the vessels for the proposed service would be small. For the Rainbow, on which it is contemplated installing five additional staterooms, $3,000 would be required, and $1,000 for each of the other vessels would probably cover the cost of the changes proper. In addition each vessel carrying passengers would need an auxiliary radio installation required by law for passenger ships. This would cost $2,000 for each vessel, and the total cost for the above vessels would be about $32,000.

“The pay and subsistence of officers and men to man the 14 ships would be about $1,862,444 a year, and the maintenance of the ships, other than pay and subsistence, including repairs, docking and supplies of all kinds would approximate $1,774,250; total, $3,636,694.

“The probably cost of the shore establishment for operating the line is difficult to estimate at this time….”

“The expense of such services would of necessity be relatively large, due t the character of the vessels to be used and the fact that they must be kept in condition for immediate military service if required. It should be remembered, however, that there would be considerable return to the government on mail, passenger and freight receipts.

….

“In endorsing the establishment of this service I believe the personnel of all vessels engaged in it should be naval officers and enlisted men of the navy, and it will be necessary to increase the number of men at present allowed by law to the number of men required for this service.

“Now it must be remembered that the plan I have just outlined is only tentative, yet I think it sets forth quite clearly the possibilities, in this new idea, of increasing the use and efficiency of the navy.”

*Colliers were ships with specialized coal handling gear. They supported the combatant fleet in World War I.


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