[TML] Merchant Marine/Merchant Navy in Traveller (was Future wars will be run and won by computer control)

[Jerry W Barrington]

On 8/8/08 8:11 PM, "Infojunky" <Infojunky at ceecom.net> wrote:

> alan hume wrote:
>> Maybe I am missing or forgetting something
>> but is there such a thing as a Merchant Marine/Merchant Navy
>> in the OTU?
>>  
>> If so are Free Traders a part of it?
>>   
> Some of the crew might, not the trader himself....

This depends on what you mean do Merchant Marine...

    "The United States Merchant Marine refers to the fleet of US
civilian-owned merchant ships ... that are engaged in commerce or
transportation of goods and services in and out of the navigable waters of
the United States. ... In time of war, the Merchant Marine[1] is an
auxiliary to the Navy ..."
...
    "Specifically, the [Merchant Marine Act of 1936] established the United
States Maritime Commission and required a United States Merchant Marine that
consists of U.S.-built, U.S.-flagged, U.S.-crewed and U.S.-owned vessels
capable of carrying all domestic and a substantial portion of foreign
water-borne commerce which can serve as a naval auxiliary in time of war or
national emergency."
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Merchant_Marine>

*This* obviously applies to ships, not sailors, although the stats include
number of officers, engineers, and others *on* those ships.  Other
countries, of course, have different definitions.

The problem with trying to use it for planetary naval auxiliaries is all the
ships have to do is "happen" to be out-system when war breaks out.  And stay
there.  :)