After repairs, the ship was renamed Kachidoki Maru (勝鬨丸), put under control of NYK Line and entered the Japan to Taiwan route, but soon after was requisitioned by the Imperial Japanese Army.
Design 1095 ship was originally conceived as a fast troop transport, subsequently modified into passenger and cargo vessel of approximately 13,000 deadweight tonnage after the end of hostilities.
[3] She also possessed all the modern machinery for quick loading and unloading of cargo from nine main hatches, including thirty two 6-ton and one 30-ton booms and twenty steam winches.
[3] She also had two of her storage chambers totaling approximately 1,300 tons equipped with refrigerating machinery for transportation of perishable goods such as meat, fruits and vegetables.
[8] The vessel then proceeded to Baltimore where she took on board a token load of general cargo and 71 passengers before sailing out on 22 January 1921 bound for San Francisco.
[9] The ship passed through the Panama Canal on January 31 and arrived at Los Angeles on February 11 after largely an uneventful journey, successfully completing her maiden voyage.
[12] The vessel departed Calcutta three weeks later with over 7,000 tons of oriental goods as well as exotic birds and monkeys, and reached San Francisco on May 28, successfully concluding her first trip in the Pacific.
[15] Wolverine State returned home from her second trip in early September via Hawaii where she loaded part cargo of pineapples, hides and tallow.
[17] Regardless of the rumors, Wolverine State departed for her third trip to India in mid-October, carrying among other cargo approximately 100,000 feet of cedar lumber, ordered by Japanese to make pencils, but believed by many to be used in production of airplanes.
[23] The steamer arrived home from her last trip to India in mid-April with a cargo of consisting mostly of jute and gunny sacks in addition to 1,000 tons of rubber, and was subsequently put into drydock of Moore Shipbuilding Company for reconditioning.
[27] The rebuilding work was finalized by June and President Harrison was scheduled to depart for Manila and Hong Kong, when USSB abruptly cancelled the route again citing lack of profitability.
[33][34][35] President Harrison was immediately put into service as part of the Pacific Argentine Brazil Line, and departed from Seattle and other Puget Sound ports laden with lumber, apples and other general merchandise on 25 February 1923 bound for South America.
[37][38] In early June 1923, President Harding set out on a journey to cross the country, visit Alaska Territory, travel south along the West Coast, then go by ship from San Diego through the Panama Canal to Puerto Rico.
[41] While President Harrison was on her voyage, Dollar Steamship Company approached the Shipping Board about acquiring seven steamers to serve on their proposed round-the-world passenger service to be run between San Francisco and New York via East Asia and the Mediterranean.
[44] The ship remained berthed in the harbor until mid-December when she was put into drydock to apply finishing touches before her inaugural trip, scheduled for early January 1924.
The ships were to call at Honolulu, Kobe, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Manila, Singapore, Penang, Colombo, Suez, Alexandria, Naples, Genoa, Marseille and from there proceed directly to Boston and finish their trip in New York.
President Harrison was to be the first ship to sail on this route, and was officially transferred to her new owners in a special ceremony held on 24 December 1923, with many local dignitaries present.
[51] During her third voyage, the ship was reported to be in distress while travelling in the Mediterranean, however, that soon turned out to be a mix-up and the vessel safely arrived at Boston in late February 1925.
[54] In October 1926 while the ship was off the Baja California coast, one of the passengers aboard the vessel fell seriously ill, prompting US Navy destroyer Decatur to rush a surgeon team from San Diego to perform an operation on board the liner.
[55] In the early morning hours on 6 November 1926 while proceeding from Shanghai to Hong Kong in foggy weather, President Harrison ran aground on Bonham Island, off the mouth of the Yangtze River.
[59] In early January 1929 it was announced that the Dollar Steamship Company decided to upgrade and remodel several of their liners, including President Harrison at a total cost of approximately $2,000,000.
[60][61] The contract for remodeling was awarded to the Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company and the work on President Harrison commenced soon after her arrival from her regular round-the-world trip.
[66] President Harrison was chartered by the United States Navy 27–28 November 1941 to evacuate the 4th Marines from Shanghai (and also the crates with the remains of the now lost Peking Man[67]), returning to Olongapo, Philippines on 3 December.