with the peak load coming in the months of June, July and August. The records show a reduction in stock of gasolene and naphtha during the month of July of approximately 1,367,000 barrels, and it was estimated that the reduction in August would be close to two million barrels, or a daily deficit of 65,000 barrels. It was on account of this unsatisfactory condition that on August 27th the Fuel Administration called upon the public in the states east of the Mississippi River to cease the uses of all classes of automobiles, with a few named exceptions, motor cycles, and motor boats on Sunday, until further notice. Motor vehicles which were excepted were tractors and motor trucks employed in actual transportation of freight, vehicles of physicians used in performance of official duties, ambulances, fire apparatus, police patrol wagons, undertakers' vehicles and the conveyances used for funerals, railway equipment using gasolene, repair outfits employed by telephone and public service companies, and motor vehicles on errands of necessity in rural communities where transportation by steam or electricity is not available.

GASLESS SUNDAYS

A statement issued by Administrator Garfield and Mark S. Requa, Director of the Oil Division, of the Fuel Administration, explains this action:

The United States Fuel Administration considers it necessary that a limited conservation of gasolene be undertaken in the states east of the Mississippi River, in view of the increasing demand for gasolene for war purposes and the paramount obligation of meeting promptly and fully all overseas requirements. An appeal is made, therefore, to the people of the United States, east of the Mississippi River to exercise a rigid economy in the consumption of gasolene during the next few weeks, as a necessary and practical act of patriotism.

War necessities are being, and will continue to be promptly and fully met, but this is the period of the year when consumption of gasolene is at its highest. And the increased domestic demands, together with the extensive military operations in France, have rendered necessary for a limited period the adoption of safeguards against possible shortage.

In view of the difficulty, if not the impossibility, of differentiating between the various uses to which automobiles are applied, the United States Fuel Administration believes that the greatest measure of economy

can be effected with the least interference with the business of the country through the discontinuance of all classes of motor vehicles, motor boats and motor cycles activities. The United States Fuel Administration, therefore, requests that in the section of the United States east of the Mississippi, there shall be a discontinuance of use of the vehicles above specified, including all such as are operated for hire, on each Sunday, hereafter, until notification that the need for such discontinuance has ceased.

The statement ended with an appeal to the patriotic men and women of America east of the Mississippi River to undertake voluntarily additional conservation in the operation of their own automobiles wherever possible. The Fuel Administration had in contemplation the extension of the prohibition of gasolene on Sunday throughout the West if it should seem later to be necessary.

Some idea of the operation of this Sunday conservation may be obtained from the consideration of the conditions in the state of New York alone. On June 1, 1918, there were 421,084 automobiles licensed in the state of New York. It would be a conservative estimate that if these cars should run on Sunday they would consume a total of 2,105,420 gallons. In the city of New York alone, 962,160 gallons would be consumed on any one Sunday. In the whole country there are about 5,500,000 automobiles. If all were operated on Sunday the gasolene consumption would reach the stupendous total of 27,500,000 gallons.

Although obedience to the request of the Fuel Administration was entirely voluntary, the people so universally responded to the appeal of the Fuel Administrator, that it was not necessary for the Oil Division to exercise the powers given it by law, and by the middle of October it was possible to cancel the order. The patriotism of the people had been appealed to and the request of the Fuel Administration was not only obeyed, but was obeyed with the greatest good will. Sunday joy riding stopped all over the states east of the Mississippi.

Upper row, left to right: Charles M. Schwab, Director General, Emergency Fleet Corporation; Vance C. McCormick, Chairman, War Trade Board; Samuel Gompers, President, American Federation of Labor; center: Herbert C. Hoover, Food Administrator; Bernard M. Baruch, Chairman, War Industries Board; lower: Harry A. Garfield, Fuel Administrator; Frank P. Walsh, Chairman, National War Labor Board; W. P. G. Harding, Manager-Director, War Finance Corporation.

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CHAPTER XXVII

A BRIDGE OF SHIPS

NE of the most important questions which confronted the United States of America upon its entrance into

the World War was the obvious need of a greater merchant marine. Indeed, it was generally thought that the Allies had no great need of men, and that America would be doing her share if she should be able to furnish the allied peoples with food and munitions. The submarine warfare conducted by the Germans had been destroying so much of the seagoing tonnage of the world that the problem presented enormous difficulties.

In July, 1914, the total steam seagoing merchant tonnage of the Allies was 34,924,000 gross tons. During the war the Allies lost 12,815,000 tons through enemy action. They also lost 2,193,000 tons through marine risk, and about 210,000 tons through seizures by the enemy, making a total loss of 15,218,000 tons. On the other hand, by the construction of new ships there was a gain of 11,856,000 tons, and 2,393,000 tons was captured from the enemy, a total gain of 14,249,000 tons. The net loss, therefore, was only 969,000 tons.

The United States seagoing merchant marine in August, 1914, included 624 steamers of 1,758,465 tons and 870 sailing vessels and schooner barges of 947,652 gross tons, making a grand total of 1,494 seagoing merchant vessels of 2,706,117 gross tons. On November 11, 1918, when the war ended the steam merchant marine had increased to 1,366 vessels of 4,695,263 gross tons, and the sailing vessels and schooner barges had decreased to 747 vessels of 829,917 gross tons, making a grand total of 2,113 seagoing vessels of 5,515,480 gross tons. This did not include the seized enemy vessels, which at the end of the war aggregated 88 vessels of 562,005 gross tons.

The total construction of the United States added to the