Documents dealing with the mobilization of the RCN, extracted
from:
The Times Documentary History of the War Volume VI, Overseas,
London, 1918.
The Committee of the Privy Council have had before them a Report, dated 4th August 1914, from the Minister of the Naval Service, submitting that section 23 of the Naval Service Act, chapter 43 of the Statutes of 1910, provides that:-
23. In case of an emergency, the Governor in Council may place at the disposal of His Majesty, for general service in the Royal Navy, the Naval Service or any part thereof, any ships or vessels of the Naval Service and the officers and seamen serving in such ship or vessels, or any officers or seamen belonging to the Naval Service.
An Emergency having arisen, the Minister recommends that H.M.C.S Niobe and H.M.C.S. Rainbow, together with the officers and seamen serving in such vessels, be placed at the disposal of His Majesty for general service in the Royal Navy.
The Committee concur in the foregoing recommendation and submit the same for approval.
Government of Canada have by Order in Council, 4th August, placed
His Majesty's C. S. Niobe, Rainbow, together with officers
and men serving in them, at the disposal of His Majesty for general
service in Royal Navy.
ARTHUR
The Committee of the Privy Council have had before them a joint report, dated 4th August 1914, from the Minister of the Naval Service and the Minister of Customs, stating that section 43 of the Naval Service Act, chapter 43, of the Statutes of 1910, provides that :-
'The Governor in Council may from time to time transfer to or from the Naval Service any vessel belonging to His Majesty'.
The Committee, on the recommendation of the Minister of the Naval Service and the Minister of Customs, advise that the C.G.S. Canada and the C.G.S.Margaret be transferred to the Naval Service.
The Cabinet meeting ended at eleven o'clock last night, and the following official statement issued:-
Parliament has been summoned for Tuesday, August 18. The session will deal exclusively with matters which will necessarily arise by reason of the outbreak of war.
Portions of the Militia have been called out for active service to protect the coast and to safeguard public property. The Dominion steamships Margaret and Canada have been transferred to the vaval service, and all ships available for service have been placed on active service. All measures prescribed by the scheme of defence have been taken by the Departments of the Government. the Naval Volunteer force has also been called out.
There is a romour that a steamship, presumably a merchant ship, is meditating an attack on one of the Marconi stations. The necessary precautions have been taken.
The Committee of the Privy Council have had before them a Report, dated 6th August 1914, from the Minister of the Naval Service, submitting that, in view of the existing emergency, it is necessary to provide some additional means of Naval Defence on the Pacific Coast of Canada.
The Minister states that two submarine boats have been offered to
the Dominion Government; that these boats were originally built for the
Chilean Government, which was unable to receive them, and that their
dimensions are as follows:-
Displacement.....313 tons
Length...........144 feet and 125 feet respectively
Beam.............15 feet
Speed............18 knots
The Technical Officers of the Department of the Naval Service report that these boats are very suitable and recommend their purchase.
The Minister concurs and recommends, therefore, that these boats be purchased for the sum of One million and fifty thousand ($1,050,000) dollars, and that, as the necessity is urgent, a Governor-General's warrant be issued covering this expenditure, the Minister of Finance having reported that there is no Parliamentary Appropriation from which this expenditure can be defrayed.
The Committee advise that a Governor-General's Warrant do issue as recommended accordingly.
Canadian Government wish to place the two submarine boats now at
Esquimalt at disposal of the Admiralty for general service. Please
inform Admiralty.
ARTHUR
Following from Admiralty in reply to your telegram of yesterday's date.
Offer of submarine boats gratefully accepted by Admiralty.
HARCOURT.
Mr. PUGSLEY: While upon my feet, I would like to ask the Minister of Marine and Fisheries one or two questions with regard to the submarines that have been purchased. At what shipyards were these submarines built and equipped, and what was the cost of their construction.
Hon. J. D. HAZEN: The submarines referred to were purchased at Seattle. They were originally built for the Government of Chile, but for certain reasons were not delivered to the Chilean Government. The amount paid was $1,150,000, and before purchasing we had the advice of the Admiralty as to the desirability of doing so.
Mr. PUGSLEY: What are the names of the boats?
Mr. HAZEN: They were not named when we bought them.
Mr. PUGSLEY: The reason I ask is because I see in the Naval Annual that only two submarines were being built for the Chilean Government last year, and these were being built at the Electric Torpedo Shipyards. I saw a newspaper statement that these two submarines were built at those yards, but my hon. friend is sure that they were built at Seattle?
Sir ROBERT BORDEN: They may have been built in New York and taken to Seattle.
Mr. H. B. AMES: I was in Seattle the day they were purchased. the submarines were primarily assembled in New York, and the parts were afterwards sent to Seattle and put togther there.
Mr. PUGSLEY: Then the statement in the Naval Annual is correct, that they were built at the Electric Torpedo Shipyards, which, I may say, are closely connected with the Fore River Shipyards, of which my hon. friend has heard. I am glad to tell my hon. friend that, notwithstanding the alledged bankruptcy of that company, they have recently turned out for the United States Government perhaps the largest battleship afloat. I am glad to observe that the Government has transferred these submarines to the British Admiralty. They are now under the control of the Royal Navy, are they not?
Mr. HAZEN: At the disposal of His Majesty.
Mr. PUGSLEY: I am very glad to see that that was done
under the sections of the Naval Services Act.
I would like to ask my hon. friend further with reference
to the Order in Council, dated August 4, which I will then read Mr. HAZEN: The Admiralty has accepted the offer made by Canada.
Mr. PUGSLEY: What is the result of that? Does the British Admiralty
take charge and pay for the equipment and maintenance, or does Canada continue
to maintain and man the ships and pay for the equipment and manning?
Mr. HAZEN: We are continuing to pay for the equipment and manning.
Mr. PUGSLEY: I observe from the newspapers that although the Niobe
has been transferred to the Royal Navy she is not yet fully in commission.
What is the reason for the delay?
Mr. HAZEN: The Niobe is, of course, in a sense in commission,
but she will not be ready to sail until the 1st of September. At the request
of the British Government, the men on the Niobe were sent out to
British Columbia to go on board the Rainbow for the purpose of
cruising in the Behring Sea; but when the war broke out that was changed, and
the Rainbow was put into service for the protection of British
shipping on the Pacific coast. The Niobe is being manned with
ex-naval service men in Canada, many of whom have already reported for
service, and by the crews of the Algerine and Shearwater.
These vessels are being laid up by the British Government at Esquimalt,
and the crews are being sent across the continent to Halifax to help to
man the Niobe. My information is that the Niobe will be
ready to sail on the 1st September.
Mr. PUGSLEY: It was stated by the St. John Globe, which usually
has authoritative despatches from Ottawa as to what the Government is doing,
that considerable delay was occasioned by the cleaning out of the boilers
of the Niobe, or the removal of the solid material which had been
placed in the tubes to prevent them from rusting. I would like to ask my
hon. friend if he has any information as to whether the guns were removed from
the Niobe several months ago?
Mr. HAZEN: The guns were not removed from the Niobe. There had
to be a certain work done in the way of repairing the vessel for the sea
and making preparations for war, which included to a certain extent
attending to the boilers and other parts of the machinery. That work is
being done.
Mr. PUGSLEY: How long has that work been going on?
Mr. HAZEN: About ten days or two weeks.
Whereas, by Order in Council, dated 5th June 1910, rates of pay
for Officers and Men of the Naval Service of Canada were established;
And Whereas, by Order in Council, dated 1st August 1914,
rates of pay and allowances for the Naval Volunteer Force were established;
And Whereas, it is necessary, on account of the acquisition of
submarine boats by the Government, to lay down rates of extra pay for
Officers and men serving in submarines,-
Therefore, the Governor-General in Council is pleased to order, and it
is hereby ordered, as follows:-
the following rates of extra pay for service in submarine vessels, which
are based on those in force in the Royal Navy, are established for Officers
and Men of the Naval Service and of the Naval Volunteer Force who are
employed on submarine duty:
His Royal Highness the Governor-General in Council
The Committee of the Privy Council have had before them a Report,
dated 27th August, 1914, from the Minister of the Naval Service,
recommending that the following rates of pay and allowances be adopted
for Petty Officers and men volunteering for war service, who have had
previous service in the Royal Navy, viz:-
All ratings to be paid in accordance with their equivalent seaman
ratings, and to enter with the seniority which they held on leaving
the Royal Navy.
Petty Officers and Men to have the option of being placed on the above
rates, or on the rates of pay and allowances already in force in the
Canadian Navy for their particular rating.
The Committee concur in the foregoing recommendations and submit
the same for approval.
Extra Submarine Pay
Officers above the rank of Sub-Lieutenant....$1.50
Sub-Lieutenants, Commissioned Warrant Officers, and Warrant Officers..$1.00
Chief Petty Officers, Petty Oficers, and Leading Seamen...............$.60
Other Ratings.........................................................$.50
Able Seaman...........$1.00 per diem
Leading Seaman........$1.00 " "
Petty Officer.........$1.25 " "
Chief Petty Officer...$1.65 " "
Allowances
Gunnery and Torpedo ratings according to Naval Scale:
Signalling and Telegraph ratings.....10 cents
Stoker ratings.......................20 "
No allowance for badges.
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