110 THE MAINTENANCE OF THE FLEET. 



oil of the twenty colliers, and comparing the sum with the consumptions of fuel in 

 the foregoing table, we have: — 



Coal, torn. Oil, tons. 



In bunkers i2(),ooo 16,900 



As cargo 120,000 38,100 



Total 249,000 45>ooo 



Consumed as per table 232,200 41,600 



Margin 6,800 3,400 



It should be stated that the two new oil carriers Kanawha and Maumee, now 

 ready for service, are included in the list of colliers. These two help to swell the 

 figures for oil by 18,244 tons. The margin remaining as above is uncomfortably 

 small and we are at once confronted with the problem of 240,000 tons of coal 

 and 40,000 tons of oil required to get the ships back to Balboa. The bunker coal 

 for the colliers can be gotten from Singapore or Australia, but only "Welsh" or 

 "Pocahontas" class of coal serves for naval use. The problem, as elementary as 

 it may seem, is extremely complicated even in time of peace. What it would be in 

 war is another matter, but it illustrates the profoundly gratifying fact that we 

 have wisely given our ships a large steaming radius, and, more wisely still, gone in 

 for government-owned colliers and supply ships, while every other navy in the 

 world has to rely on chartering. With adequate supplies of coal and oil at Hono- 

 lulu, Midway and Guam, we may attain the desired mobility of the fleet even in 

 war, provided we adequately fortify Guam and Midway. The cost would not ex- 

 ceed that of one battleship. 



In time of war the high speeds required in scouting and protecting would in- 

 crease enormously the demand for fuel, and the 10 knots speed for the fleet shows 

 how narrow is the margin as it gives the very minimum, easily increased by leaps 

 and bounds under stress of weather or war operations. It is estimated that prob- 

 ably 200,000 tons of coal a month would be required along this route in time of 

 war. Two things stand out clearly in this problem, viz., the necessity for adopt- 

 ing the system of towing and coaling at sea so ably and so often advocated in the 

 meetings of this Society, and the need of replacing our old colliers, supply ships 

 and cruisers with newer, larger and faster ones. These colliers, repair and supply 

 ships, fitted with 5-inch and 6-inch guns and officered and manned by regular 

 officers and men, should be able to give a good account of themselves in time of 

 danger and would not need the sheltering and shepherding that must be given to a 

 heterogeneous lot of chartered and irresponsible craft, none too reliable under the 

 most favorable circumstances. This leads up to the question of either purchasing 

 additional colliers and supply ships, or building them, as we cannot rely on charter- 

 ing because we will need all the available merchant ships for other purposes, viz., 

 our expanding foreign trade, and maintaining what we have. A purchased ship 



