AND SHIP NEWS power, giving a speed of 16 knots, with a cruising radius of 9,000 miles. The yacht Aras, built for Hugh J. Chisholm, of New York and Portland, Me., is 162 feet 3 inches long, overall, to be powered with twin Diesel engines of 950 horsepower, giving a speed of 14 knots, with a cruising radius Newly launched yacht Josephine, for of 5,500 miles, her double bottom being an unusual protection for a vessel of this type. Cox & Stevens also designed the yacht Josephine for Edmund S. Burke, Jr., of Cleveland and New York. She is 140 feet in length overall, to be powered by twinscrew Diesel engines of 550 horsepower, giving a speed of 121⁄2 knots, with a cruising radius of 5,000 miles. Keels Laid These two Clyde Line steamers are for freight and passenger service between New York and Miami, Florida. One will be 407 feet 3 inches in length overall, 62 feet beam, with accommodations for 930 passengers. The steam plant will be oil-burning, with turbines of 8,500 horsepower, geared to twin screws. The other Clyde liner will be 402 feet in length overall, 54 feet beam, with accommodations for 449 passen Newly launched yacht Aras, for gers, the steam plant to be oil-burning, with turbines of 4,200 horsepower, geared to a single screw. The keel for the Panama-Pacific liner is for the largest commercial ship ever laid down in America, which will be of the most modern type throughout, 601 feet long, overall, 80 feet beam, with a speed of 17 knots per hour. Oil-burning boilers will furnish steam to turbine-driven electric generators, which in turn will drive motors geared to twin screws. The size and power of this great ship gives us a fair idea of the swift growth of the freight and passenger business now developing between the coast of the United States via the Panama Canal, over a route but twelve years old. What Could We Expect? When we repeat that no foreign-built vessel may operate between ports of the United States, and that foreignbuilt vessels may now be freely registered as American, if owned by American citizens, one need not be surprised that of the utilitarian vessels launched at Newport News, Virginia, on March 20th, by the Newport News Shipbuilding & Dry Dock Company, all are for domestic and none for foreign trade. Senator W. L. Jones Sounds Warning A Washington, D. C., dispatch of March 31 declares that in a letter to Chairman O'Connor of the Shipping Board, Senator Jones, of Washington, chairman of the Commerce Committee, strongly disapproves of the proposal submitted for the disposition of the five ships of the Admiral-Oriental Line, now being operated out of Puget Sound. Citing the importance of the Orient as amarket, Senator Jones says: "I cannot believe that the board will consider for a mement the disposal of this service and these ships on the terms specified in thepending call for bids." He criticizes these terms and says: "It is, in effect, an option for two years, secured on a payment of 1⁄2 per cent with 5 per cent due at the end of the first year. Ships disposed of upon such terms are not sold at all, but, in effect, are simply turned over to the alleged purchaser at a small rental, and he can take or reject them within two years." Fears Reduced Service Senator Jones sees the likelihood of curtailment of the service by one-half. He said that if the ships are disposed of to a "certain agency", all the shipping under the American flag will be under one ownership or one control. This is a reference to the Dollar company. He objects strongly to this, calls the plan of disposal "unbusinesslike", wants to know why it was proposed and protests flatly against what he regards as giving away the ships. Senator Jones urges that local agencies should be given a chance to show what they can do. "Do not give these ships away," he concludes, "and do not clinch any monopoly's grip on every Pacific port and overseas Pacific commerce." R. Stanley Dollar, president of the Admiral-Oriental Line and vice-president of the Dollar steamship interests, is the only steamship man who has expressed a willingness to buy the five liners now under his operation. Two of his previous proposals have been rejected by the Shipping Board, but unless unforseen obstacles arise, it is believed certain Mr. Dollar will acquire the vessels under the new bids which are to be advertised shortly. Will Offer Only $3,000,000 It is understood he will offer $3,000,000 for the fleet, as he did on two previous occasions, but that his latest offer will conform with a new sales contract, which has been drawn up to accompany the new bids. The Dollar company has been heavy purchasers of Shipping Board tonnage. Among the passenger ships it already has acquired from the board are seven liners now engaged in a round the world service and five liners which formerly were under the operation of the old Pacific Mail Company. The latter fleet now is being operated out of San Francisco to the Orient by Dollar. If he is successful in acquiring the Oriental ships, this will leave the United States Lines as the only passenger service controlled by the Shipping Board. The Shipping Board desires authority from Congress to construct two new passenger steamships of approximately 44,500 tons each, for transaltantic service, ships to make a speed of about 20 knots an hour and carrying 1,600 passengers, ships of the George Washington type. AND SHIP NEWS J T is significant that Todd Fuel Oil Burning Equipment has been installed in many of the New York Central and New York, New Haven and Hartford Companies' tug boat and lighterage fleets. Similar equipment has been installed in the harbor service craft of other railroad lines, tug boat companies and by the City of New York as well. Todd Burners have given 100% service wherever installed. Todd Fuel Oil Burning Equipment is internationally known and endorsed by British, French and American naval architects and marine engineers. The success thus achieved in increasing efficiency of ship operation is being duplicated ashore. Power plants of public utility companies, factories, important buildings and large apartment houses have been equipped also. The Todd Shipyards Corporation has unusual facilities for not only the reconstruction and reconditioning of large vessels, but for handling emergency repair work for railroad tugs, lighters, barges and other harbor craft as well. TODD DRY DOCK ENGINEERING & REPAIR CORPORATION THE AND SHIP NEWS A great deal is being said just now about canalsbarge canals and ship canals. In a few days, or at most weeks, it is expected that the joint international com mission, composed of members appointed by the United States and the Dominion of Canada, will make a report from which a reasonable estimate of the cost of the construction of the proposed St. Lawrence River ship canal, and the transportation advantages likely to follow its completion, may be ascertained. In this issue we present four separate articles dealing with this subject, to wit: 1. "An All-American Route Connecting the Great Lakes and the Atlantic," by Hon. S. Wallace Dempsey, Chairman, Rivers and Harbors Committee, House of Representatives, prepared before the publication of the summary of a report of U. S. Army Engineers who have recently conducted a preliminary examination and survey for such a canal. 2. "Why We Should Build the St. Lawrence Ship Canal," by Charles P. Craig, Executive Director, Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Tidewater Association, which claims the support of twenty-one States of the United States. 3. "Advantages of New York State Barge Canal," by Hon. Roy G. Finch, New York State Engineer and Surveyor. 4. "The St. Lawrence Riverthe Mid-West's Economical and Natural Route to Europe," by Henry Timmis, of Montreal, now having offices in New York City. The first and third oppose United States participation in the cost of constructing the St. Lawrence Ship Canal, Representative Dempsey favoring, instead, an all-American ship canal across New York State, and State Engineer Finch suggesting that the new Barge Canal be given ample opportunity to prove that it will not furnish an adequate outlet to the sea before it be urged that a ship canal should be built "following any route". Messrs. Craig and Timmis each strongly advocates the St. Lawrence ship canal as more desirable than any other for connecting the Great Lakes with the Atlantic, and each believes the United States should participate in the cost of its construction, and in its proportionate share, as well, of the cost of constructing the Canadian Welland Canal, now nearing completion at an approximate cost of $100,000,000. This symposium of divergent views is deserving of the careful consideration of all of those interested in the economics of canal transportation. We are not at all convinced that the United States should participate in the cost of constructing the St. Lawrence ship canal, or in the cost of building the new Welland Canal. It is a Canadian undertaking, at best. It will be helpful to foreign ships and Canadian commerce. We cannot see where it would be of more than negligible advantage to the United States, nor do we see that the Mid-West of the United States is "marooned" and likely to become an arid waste for the lack of itfar from it. Who can say that, almost any year, we will not cease to export grain-that we may not import it, instead, for our rapidly growing population, in which case might not the St. Lawrence Ship Canal menace instead of benefit Mid-Western grain growers? Canadian sentiment is divided as to the desirability of the St. Lawrence ship canal. The Canadian Province of Quebec (whose consent to its construction must be obtained, as, we believe, must that of New York State, because of riparian rights each enjoys in the bed of the stream, rights said to be inalienable by the State of New York), it is clear is strongly opposed to the construction of the St. Lawrence ship canal. For our part, we fail to see a single reason why Uncle Sam should spend a dollar on any Canadian canals-canals that would, if successful, promote Canadian ships and commerce, perhaps to the detriment, but certainly not to the advantage, of the United States. This subject has greatly increased in importance through the announcement of the conclusions of a preliminary examination and survey by U. S. Army engineers of a 25-foot all-American ship canal across New AND SHIP NEWS York State, at an estimated cost of $631,000,000, costing which the Superintendent of Public Works is so cock$30,000,000 annually for maintenance and amortization of cost, feasible, it is declared, as an engineering project, but undeserving of construction at this time because the outlay would not be justified by the benefits likely to be derived. The details of this report have not yet been made public. The New York State Superintendent of Public Works last month put out a special report of a most sensational character, utterly condemning the new Barge Canal as a costly failure, presenting staggering figures in support of his views, and recommending that it be turned over to the Federal Government which he urges to construct a ship canal in its stead, which statements and recommendations are approved by Governor Smith, and a resolution having been promptly introduced in the Legislature providing for a constitutional amendment the adoption of which would transfer New York's Barge Canals to the Federal Government. As we write, Representative Dempsey is endeavoring to secure a Federal appropriation for a complete survey for a ship canal across New York State, to which undertaking Mr. Dempsey is strongly committed. sure that "the remedy lies in converting the barge into a ship canal," this in view of the fact that he declares that "the fundamental reason" "why it is that the (new barge) canal is so little used" "is ice-the canal is closed by ice for five months each year." We should say that, as the same "fundamental reason" would exist as to a ship canal, which, also, would be closed by ice five months each year, it should be reason enough to cause both the Superintendent of Public Works and Governor Smith to hesitate long and seriously in so emphatically and finally declaring that "the remedy lies in converting the barge into a ship canal." Because of the "fundamental reason" for the failure of the existing Barge Canal “the canal is closed by ice five months in the year"-an objection just as "fundamental" with a 25-foot ship canal-we would reason that a ship canal was precisely the last thing that prudence and common sense would recommend as "the remedy." The State Superintendent of Public Works points out how completely the new Barge Canal, whose maximum locking capacity for boats is upwards of 3,000 tons, as compared with locks in the old Erie Canal having a capacity of not over 250 tons, has failed to justify its construction cost and present maintenance and administration costs. He argues, with Governor Smith's approval, that the only thing to do is for the United States to take over the Barge Canal and build a ship canal wholly within United States territory, and without presenting any facts or figures to prove that such a ship canal as he proposed would not be an even more colossal and an infinitely more costly failure as an avenue of transportation across New York State, then he alleges the Barge Canal is. He quotes neither lake nor ocean vessel owners to show that they would use such a canal, nor are shippers of freight cited by him who would have their freight shipped that way. The complete and utter failure of New York's Barge Canal as a freight carrier, the vast cost of its construction and annual charges for maintenance and administration are cited by the Superintendent of Public Works, who, nevertheless, makes the following singular statement and recommendation, all approved by Governor Smith: "The New York State Barge Canal is such an important transportation factor in this country that, whether or not it is a failure, it should be continued. All maintenance work necessary to secure and hold proper channel, to protect the banks, to keep up the mechanical equipment and to improve navigation conditions generally should be vigorously carried on. And the taxpayers of New York State should continue to bear these costs until this nation is awakened to the fact that a condition exists which threatens American commerce; that a remedy is vitally urgent, and that the remedy lies in converting the barge into a ship canal." Again, the Superintendent of Public Works suggests conditions that should be imposed on the Federal Government if it took over the Barge Canal, but does not say how the conditions would be enforced should the Federal Government conclude either to abandon the Barge Canal, or to construct a ship canal, after it received the former from New York State. This official leaves wholly out of consideration, as does Governor Smith, as well, the feeling of envy and jealousy felt by other states and ports toward New York because of its premier position as a world port. It might easily prove difficult, if not impossible, for the other forty-seven United States to agree to spend the nation's money thus to establish and maintain New York's supremacy in wealth, commerce and shipping. In the circumstances, we think it a good time to pause, study and reflect very seriously before adopting any remedy for the "failure" the Superintendent of Public Works so completely seems to prove the existing Barge Canal is, least of all a remedy that seems to be based upon nothing more than that it would be bigger, and infinitely more costly, but indubitably subject to the same "fundamental" objection that he states is the cause of the failure of the Barge Canal. To Win Cargoes For Our Ships A bill was early last month introduced in the Senate by Senator Harris, of Georgia, which, if enacted, would reduce by at least fifty per cent rail and water rates on wheat, corn and cotton when exported in vessels owned in the United States, somewhat on the lines of section 28, of the Jones Act, but less complicated. The bill would make unlawful the publication, demand or collection for the transportation of these products by any carrier subject to the Interstate Commerce Commission, including transportation for concentration, storage and export, any individual, joint or proportional rate, fare or charge in excess of half such rates as now exists, if intended for movement in the vessels of the Emergency What we are not able to see clearly is the reasoning by Fleet Corporation. British Loyalty to British Ships AND SHIP NEWS In a letter from William H. Bankier, a British merchant, to Chairman O'Connor, of the United States Shipping Board, in connection with the latter's praiseworthy efforts to induct exporters and importers of the United States to use American ships in connection with their business, Mr. Bankier unconsciously teaches Americans a greatly needed lesson in national loyalty. He is quoted as saying to Chairman O'Connor: "On no consideration whatever will any customer or myself receive any goods that are shipped by other steamers than British, especially from the United States of America. To enable us to pay the pound of flesh and blood which the United States of America demands from us, we must do our best to support British ships." If Mr. Bankier did not have as an excuse to justify his extreme position of loyalty to British shipping the instance of the United States that Great Britain should pay the debt it owes us, he doubtless would find what to him would be an equally good excuse for preferring British to foreign ships for the transportation of British ports: that is to say, regardless of excuses or justifiable reasons, we opine that Mr. Bankier would insist upon none but British ships for employment in carrying British imports. The frankness of Mr. Bankier is refreshing and commendable. One cannot help but feel a genuine respect, and indeed, admiration, for a Briton who evidences his loyalty to his country's welfare in so pronounced a manner. There are many such Britons, and the aggregation of them explains in large part the dominance of British shipping in world trade. There are few, if any Americans, imbued with the same spirit toward the ships of the United States, and the lesson that Mr. Bankier's outspoken preference for his own country's ships teaches should have a profound effect upon American merchants. The New York Journal of Commerce, commenting upon this incident in a Washington dispatch says: "Chairman O'Connor declared that he hoped the day will soon come when American exporters and importers 'will give to the American merchant marine that fine business loyalty which the writer of the letter gives to the British merchant marine.' He added that the Shipping Board has long been aware of the conditions reflected in the letter from which he quoted." What this country needs is about a million citizens imbued with Mr. Bankier's praiseworthy spirit. World Arrayed Against Us? While a misguided number of Americans are pleased to see this country making its first entry into the League of Nations through the side door of its International Court of Justice, because of the wholly erroneous belief that our participation in the League will help "end all wars," and very likely embroil us in many from which otherwise we would escape, the Department of Commerce is wisely calling attention to our status among the nations of the world, and how they are planning to show their regard for us. Says a Washington dispatch of last month: "A massed attack of international combinations of foreign interests against American commerce in world markets is the latest great offensive in the gigantic trade war now raging, it was learned from the Department of Commerce. "While alien monopolies are extorting huge profits from American consumers, the same countries which back these monopolies are fighting to beat down America's gains in export trade, it was shown." That is the kindly, helpful and appreciative attitude of the great nations of the world toward the United States! Their jealousy and envy of us knows no bounds, and all they desire is to tie the tail of this international court to our national tail and proceed to have fun with us forever afterwards, unless an aroused nation repudiates any kind of affiliation with the League of Nations by the United States, directly or indirectly. The Department of Commerce's practical revelation continues : "New developments were: "Formation by German dye interests of a 'super-trust', which, according to reports to the Department of Commerce, is expected to effect a combination with the British dye corporation, controlling most of the British production; subsidizing by British capital of rich oil and mine workings in South America, where the trade war is particularly intense; introduction on the South American market of cheap Japanese textiles, alleged to be made by mixing Indian cotton and cheap Chinese cotton with the American product, making it possible to undersell American and other competitors; organization of an Anglo-South American association in London as an initial move by British business to recapture South American markets from the United States; formation of a German toy manufacturers' association to expand toy exports to the United States and curtail importation of American toys into Germany." From time to time other schemes to milk this country of its money and involve it in the local jealousies and schemes of nations remote from us, and force us to carry on its wars, will lead to new methods of "putting it over" the United States and its gullible people. This country. is the object of universal attack because it is prosperous, and it is to our rivals and enemies that we plan to entrust our destiny. New York State's Nautical School For no good reason a change has been decreed in the method of managing the New York State Nautical School. It may please the politicians, but it will not help the merchant marine of the United States, the latter being what it is maintained for. The present law provides for a Board of Governors appointed by the Governor of the State upon the nomination of one member each by: New York State Chamber of Commerce; New York Maritime Exchange; New York Board of Trade & Transportation; Marine Society of New York; Alumni of School; National Board of Steam Navigation; Albany Chamber of Commerce; Buffalo Chamber of Commerce. It has worked satisfactorily for a number of years. Now it is proposed to bring it under the jurisdiction of the New York State Board of Regents and the State Commissioner of Education, with a scant semblance of nautical or maritime flavor, through a Board of Visitors, to be nominated by the associations named above, and appointed by the Governor. The superintendent of the Nautical School, who is also commander of the school ship, is obliged to undergo a competitive civil service examination, as if his license issued by the U. S. Government, as a competent shipmaster were not quite enough. However, he is to be nominated upon the recommendation of the Board of Visitors, and approved by the Regents and the Commissioner of Education-a very ridiculous rigamarole. Still, it might have been worse. |