. ▁Possible ▁military ▁use ▁of ▁passenger ▁ships ▁was ▁en vis aged ▁and , ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 9 , ▁ ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁auxili ary ▁cru iser ▁in ▁history . ▁In ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁war , ▁ships ▁could ▁easily ▁be ▁equ ipped ▁with ▁can n ons ▁and ▁used ▁in ▁cases ▁of ▁conflict . ▁Te ut onic ▁succeeded ▁in ▁impress ing ▁Emperor ▁Wilhelm ▁II ▁of ▁Germany , ▁who ▁wanted ▁to ▁see ▁his ▁country ▁end owed ▁with ▁a ▁modern ▁fleet . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 7 0 , ▁the ▁White ▁Star ▁Line ’ s ▁ ▁set ▁a ▁new ▁standard ▁for ▁ocean ▁travel ▁by ▁having ▁its ▁first - class ▁cab ins ▁amid ships , ▁with ▁the ▁added ▁amen ity ▁of ▁large ▁por th oles , ▁electric ity ▁and ▁running ▁water . ▁The ▁size ▁of ▁ocean ▁lin ers ▁increased ▁from ▁ 1 8 8 0 ▁to ▁meet ▁the ▁needs ▁of ▁imm igration ▁to ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁and ▁Australia . ▁▁ ▁and ▁her ▁sister ▁ship ▁ ▁were ▁the ▁last ▁two ▁C un ard ▁lin ers ▁of ▁the ▁period ▁to ▁be ▁fitted ▁with ▁auxili ary ▁s ails . ▁Both ▁ships ▁were ▁built ▁by ▁John ▁E lder ▁& ▁Co . ▁of ▁Glasgow , ▁Scotland , ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 4 . ▁They ▁were ▁record ▁break ers ▁by ▁the ▁standards ▁of ▁the ▁time , ▁and ▁were ▁the ▁largest ▁lin ers ▁then ▁in ▁service , ▁p lying ▁the ▁Liverpool ▁to ▁New ▁York ▁route . ▁▁ ▁was ▁a ▁ 6 8 1 4 - ton ▁steam ship ▁owned ▁by ▁the