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Naval History and Heritage Command

Naval History and Heritage Command

Raymond B. Stevens, Vice-Chairman, United States Shipping Board and United States Representative, Allied Maritime Transport Council, and George Rublee, United States Representative, Allied Maritime Transport Council, to Edward N Hurley, Chairman United States Shipping Board

Chronological Copy.                         File No. <42-2-4>

              Cablegram Sent      Sept 27 <26,> 1918. Y-10

To Discom New York                 Serial No. SM 599

Prep. by C-3                 Curtis D.R.

                                      B

Shipmission 599 for Hurley. Answering Board’s Navy 470.1 Secretary Baker2 has been making all arrangements with British for tonnage for American Army supply program. General Hines and Day3 and ourselves have been in close touch with him. He has cabled to the President4 the manner in which he proposed to deal with the problem and the President we are informed has given his approval. We suppose you have seen the cable to the President. The whole matter is to be brought before the Maritime Transport Council at its meeting September 30. Since sending our Shipmission 5585 the British have allocated for the American Army supply 200,000 deadweight tons for loading by the end of October. They are also prepared to load further tonnage up to 50,000 tons to the extent if any it may prove possible by the allocation of further American tankers to discontinue the carriage of oil fuel in double bottoms. The conditions under which this tonnage is already allocated and any other further tonnage may be assigned are fully set forth in the cablegram of Secretary Baker to the President.6 190226 SM 599 Stevens Rublee

Source Note: Cy, DNA, RG 45, Entry 517B. The handwritten date is confirmed by the time-date stamp at the end of this document.

Footnote 2: Secretary of War Newton D. Baker.

Footnote 3: Maj. Gen. John L. Hines, Chief, Embarkation Service, and Charles Day, Liaison for United States Shipping Board to Department of War.

Footnote 4: Woodrow Wilson. The cable mentioned herein has not been located.

Footnote 5: This document has not been further located.

Footnote 6: This cable has not been located.

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