Memorandum to the War Council - March 23, 1918
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War Department Office of the War Council Washington. March 23, 1918. Draft of a Memorandum to be considered by the War Council. The report of the Director of Storage and Traffic relative to the minimum military program of the United Sates, as defined by the Supreme War Council, reveals a condition so grave that it should be brought an once to the attention of the President. Several difficulties must be overcome in order to carry out the movement of two complete divisions per month, commencing April 1st, 1918. Latest information discloses that with the single exception of tonnage, the Army will successfully overcome these obstacles, either through its own efforts or with the assistance accorded in France by the Allies. Existing conditions do not warrant this conclusion insofar as the tonnage deficit is concerned. Circumstances differ in no great degree from those existing on November 24th, 1917, December 10th, 1917, January 5th, 1918 and February 4th, 1918, when the gravity of this matter was forcibly revealed. There are now in transatlantic army service cargo ships aggregating approximately 800,000 dead weight tons. The requirements for April are
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[page 2] 1,576,000 dead weight tons. Thereafter the requirements increase rapidly until September when they among to 2,916,000 dead weight tons. After allowing for the new ships which may be delivered by the Emergency Fleet Corporation there remains a deficit of 684,000 dead weight tons in April which increases rapidly to 1,208,000 dead weight tons in August. The Council is unable to secure any dependable assurances that these deficits will be met; in fact it is of the opinion that no such assurances can be given so long as the present procedure for the allocation of ship tonnage continues. On the other hand, if an authoritative plan of allocation is adopted at once, the Council believes that the necessary tonnage can be secured. The council recommends that:- (1) In order to secure immediate relief:- The adoption of the recommendations made by General Goethals as follows:- 1. That in order that the United States shall live up to its military obligations, the President direct that all American tonnage suitable for transatlantic service shall be set aside for use of the Army. 2. That hereafter no ship built under the direction of the Emergency Fleet Corporation and suitable for army service shall be assigned to any other service.
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[page 3] 3. That a cable message be sent to the Premiers of England, France, and Italy apprising them of our tonnage requirements to meet the military program, and seeking to effect a redistribution of tonnage which will more effectively meet military and other needs of the United States and the Allies. 2. As a permanent plan for the allocation of ships. (a) That the minimum tonnage needs of the United States embracing the ships requisite to move the absolutely necessary imports, exports and coast wise cargoes, and for the maintenance and equipment of our now existing military expeditionary forces and for the requirements of our navy shall be ascertained with the utmost despatch by the Shipping Control Committee which shall report its conclusions to the President. (b) All United States tonnage in excess of that required for the foregoing specific National and Military needs of the United States as approved by the President, should be turned over to and made a part of an Inter-Allied Shipping pool. Authority to allocate the tonnage comprising the Inter-Allied Shipping
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[page 4] pool should be vested in the Supreme War Council, the votes of its members being weighted according to the tonnage contributed to the pool. It is believed that the Supreme War Council will find that it is desirable to use to the fullest extent machinery now created by the Inter-Allied Maritime Transit Committee for the purpose of classifying and analyzing all Inter-Allied needs other than those of a purely military character, with a view to distinguishing between the absolute essentials and those commodities which under the present stress can be stricken from the schedule. If such a plan is made operative, the United States would at all times have under its control tonnage requisite for the maintenance of its forces abroad, but the determination of the rate at which such forces should be reinforced would be the responsibility of the highest Inter-Allied tribunal, which, is the only agency that is in a position to make decisions of such momentous character. The preservation of our lines of communication can be provided for automatically through assigning to the permanent use of the United States the additional tonnage which will be required from time to time for the reinforcements added to our present expeditionary forces.
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[page 5] In no other way can the United States to be placed in the right light with regard to its position in the War, and that failing this, misunderstanding and contentions developing possibly into national embarrassment, are certain to ensue. The Council adopted unanimously the foregoing memorandum and moved that a copy, signed by each member of the Council and approved by the Acting Secretary of War, be brought to the attention of the President.
Details
| Title | Memorandum to the War Council - March 23, 1918 |
| Creator | Unknown |
| Source | Unknown. Memorandum to the War Council. 23 March 1918. Crowder, Enoch H. (1859-1932), Papers, 1884-1942. C1046. The State Historical Society of Missouri, Columbia, MO. |
| Description | This memorandum to the War Council concerned the agreements made by the country to the Allies about troops and supplies. The memorandum proposed ways to meet the demands for the Army. This document is part of a collection compiled by Enoch Herbert Crowder, the Edinburg, Grundy County, Missouri native who served as Judge Advocate General. Crowder devised the Selective Service Act in 1917 which drafted America's forces during World War I. |
| Subject LCSH | Crowder, E. H. (Enoch Herbert), 1859-1932; World War, 1914-1918--Equipment and supplies; Goethals, George W. (George Washington), 1858-1928. |
| Subject Local | WWI; World War I |
| Site Accession Number | C1046 |
| Contributing Institution | The State Historical Society of Missouri |
| Copy Request | Transmission or reproduction of items on these pages beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the State Historical Society of Missouri: 1020 Lowry Street, Columbia, Missouri, 65201-7298. (573) 882-7083. |
| Rights | The text and images contained in this collection are intended for research and educational use only. Duplication of any of these images for commercial use without express written consent is expressly prohibited. |
| Date Original | March 23, 1918 |
| Language | English |