Problem: The President Has Decided To Seize All German Merchant Vessels Now Within Our Ports...

P R O B L E M
GENERAL SITUATION — As at present, war with Germany.
SPECIAL SITUATION — The President has decided “To seize all German merchant vessels now within our ports and use them; to protect by suitable measures the interests of private owners of German merchant vessels now in our ports.
REQUIRED — Estimate of the situation as to employment of above vessels.
S O L U T I O N
A previous estimate of the general situation of the United States in the present war led to the adoption of the following missions:-
1. TO DEVELOP THE FULL MILITARY AND NAVAL STRENGTH OF THE UNITED STATES AS FAST AS POSSIBLE.
2. TO EMPLOY OUR FORCES IN WAR SO AS BEST TO BUILD UP OUR FIGHTING POWER AS AN INDEPENDENT NATION.
3. TO RENDER THE MAXIMUM POSSIBLE SUPPORT NOW TO THE ENEMIES OF THE CENTRAL POWERS.
An examination of the methods of accomplishing the above missions led to the conclusion that the United States should make as small military demands as possible on merchant shipping so that the flow of the supplies and munitions essential to the support of the Entente Powers might be maintained. It was further determined that assistance to the Entente Powers should be rendered as quickly as possible so as to support and reinforce them while they are still strong. The only limitation on the methods of support of the Entente Powers was found in the requirements of missions (1) and (2) above. Applying these general principles to the situation outlined in the problem, we derive the following:-
M I S S I O N
TO USE THE GERMAN VESSELS THAT HAVE BEEN SEIZED SO AS BEST AND SOONEST TO SUPPORT THE MILITARY AND NAVAL OPERATIONS AGAINST GERMANY. As the vessels are now without crews and not in condition for service, the first steps of all must be to man the vessels and to place them in condition for service. In order that each step may be directly towards the final employment of these vessels we must decide now what that employment should be.All the information at hand points to the commanding military importance of maintaining and increasing trans-Atlantic commercial traffic. If this traffic fails the Entente Powers fail. Their failure will be our failure, too. From this we conclude that:-It is of commanding military importance that the refugee German vessels be placed in the trans-Atlantic traffic as soon as possible.Trans-Atlantic traffic is becoming increasingly dangerous. We are seeking to lessen the danger by Armed Guards, but their discretion is limited. The Armed Guards are for defense only. Such an attitude is inefficient. In war all our forces should be free to act offensively against the enemy wherever he may be. The ships at sea must be free to pursue and to attack enemy vessels wherever they are seen. International law does not permit merchant vessels so to act. We can meet completely the requirements of international law and give to our Armed Guards the authority and discretion demanded by a state of war, by commissioning in the Navy every vessel carrying an Armed Guard.As the danger to shipping increases private enterprise will be increasingly reluctant to accept the hazards of the sea. If vessels are under naval control and their officers and crews are of the Navy, the maximum possible certainty of their continued operation is assured. If the Entente Powers fail and America is left alone in the war, we shall have done our best if all our vessels at sea are fighting ships ready to act with the Fleet. This is the phase of naval development that missions (1) and (2) demand of us.At the end of the war the adjustment of the claims of private owners may be made more satisfactorily if the vessels are still in possession of the Government.From the above considerations we arrive at the following
D E C I S I O N S
1. TREASURY DEPARTMENT TO TRANSFER ALL GERMAN REFUGEE VESSELS TO THE NAVY DEPARTMENT FOR COMMISSIONING AS NAVAL AUXILIARIES AND TO ASSIST NAVY IN GUARDING THESE VESSELS UNTIL THEY ARE COMMISSIONED.
2. NAVY DEPARTMENT TO SURVEY, REPAIR, ARM AND MAN THE VESSELS AS NAVAL AUXILIARIES FOR TRANS-ATLANTIC COMMERCIAL SERVICE.
3. ANNOUNCE THAT PRIVATE OWNERS OF VESSELS SEIZED WILL BE PROTECTED IN THEIR PROPERTY RIGHTS WHEN PEACE IS DECLARED.MINOR DECISIONS
1. An officer of the regular Navy in command of each vessel.
2. Trained gun pointer groups for each gun. Remainder of crew need have no special naval qualifications.
3. A battery of not less than four 3-inch or larger guns for each vessel.
4. Make careful inventories and appraisals of all property taken into custody.
5. Bureau of Supplies and Accounts to make arrangements with existing commercial organizations to handle shipments in both directions, the Navy to operate the vessels but not to handle the shipments.6. Repair work on vessels to take precedence over all construction work.