In a message dated 12/7/2010 3:59:32 A.M. Eastern Standard Time, _swig@ns.sympatico.ca_ (mailto:swig@ns.sympatico.ca) writes: ..... maybe when the American President Lines schedule was printed, the March round the world trip for the PC hadn't yet been scheduled, or maybe it was a "one of" trip for that vessel ?? ================= The Presidents Hoover and Coolidge (which were sister ships) followed a fairly set route out to Manila and back to the West Coast all throughout their careers. It was a six week cycle while other Dollar Line/American President Lines ships did the round the world service that included Singapore. The only way the President Coolidge would have made it to Singapore in March/April 1939 was if she had diverted from her normal itinerary due to problems in the region. As we all know the rumblings of War were already in Asia and in fact the President Hoover had gone aground in 1938 in the region. To this day some people blame the Japanese claiming they turned off critical land-based navigation lights in a deliberate attempt to destroy one of America's primary ships in the region and one that would surely have become a troop transport in war. There's no articles showing up in the newspapers talking about the President Coolidge diverting to Singapore so I suspect the original poster in her research is looking for one of the other American President ships in Singapore in March/April 1939 and not the Coolidge. The Coolidge by the by did end up in World War II and was lost as a troop transport. At least till a few years ago she was still lying on her side just off shore and had become a diving attraction. Allan Jordan

Sorry if I didn't make it clear, Allan, but I realised, after researching earlier contributions in this thread, that the President Coolidge did not go to Singapore. It brought home to me (once again!) how careful one has to be when assumptions are being made. Lindsay On 8 Dec 201 at 00:55, Aejordan@aol.com wrote: > > The Presidents Hoover and Coolidge (which were sister ships) followed a > fairly set route out to Manila and back to the West Coast all throughout their > careers. It was a six week cycle while other Dollar Line/American > President Lines ships did the round the world service that included Singapore. > > The only way the President Coolidge would have made it to Singapore in > March/April 1939 was if she had diverted from her normal itinerary due to > problems in the region. As we all know the rumblings of War were already in > Asia and in fact the President Hoover had gone aground in 1938 in the region. > To this day some people blame the Japanese claiming they turned off > critical land-based navigation lights in a deliberate attempt to destroy one of > America's primary ships in the region and one that would surely have become > a troop transport in war. > > There's no articles showing up in the newspapers talking about the > President Coolidge diverting to Singapore so I suspect the original poster in her > research is looking for one of the other American President ships in > Singapore in March/April 1939 and not the Coolidge. > > The Coolidge by the by did end up in World War II and was lost as a troop > transport. At least till a few years ago she was still lying on her side > just off shore and had become a diving attraction. > > Allan Jordan > >