SAPPING IN NEW YORK

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2254, 14 September 1914, Page 8

SAPPING IN NEW YORK

IMMENSE GERMAN TONNAGE IDLE VESSELS OBLIGED TO RETAIN CREWS '' (Now York ."Post.") Even 1 though European merchant vessels aro:;;secutuig7.safety., from capture by fle(|in<T_to;,neutral_ ports, there to. lio during'tfie'-war, T; -the -loss to foreign shipping which this paralysis of ocean traffic entails is incalculable. Germany and England'have both issued-warnings to all vessels of their merchant marine to tie. up. in. tho nearest neutral: port to avoid capture. ' Great Britain and Franee,becauso of thoir preponderant combiued'istrength, are not so likely to abandon their usual trade routes. It is conceivable, however! that the German Navy"'"might prove l formidable to the enfemy/s if it should com© out of the. lirslj clashes with. Franco and England without being too badly crippled. Some,,idea: of! the financial' burden Which .Germany will be called upon to bear in various parts of the world, where her merchantmen are interned, can be gained by. survey of the German ships-now-bottled up in the ports of the United- States;- In. the Gulf ports, where lumber consigned ch : eflly to Germany, and England is loaded, German tramps a,nd liners are always to be< found in' numbers. The ; German consul in Mobile has already warned them to safety. Others frill be tied up in I'acific Coast harbours. Baltimore is likely to be.a haven for a. goodly number of-German merchant vessels, but the port of New York"; will hold the bulk of them. In gross tonnage, more than 300,000 tons of German merchant shipping is tied up at New York docks, and the prospect is that it will remain there for some time. During this interval, except for. the single cost of ooar consumed, the: expenses of the vessels areas great as": during the time'that they are actually'earning an income for their owners. Even 'n the matter- 1 of coal, there is considerable consumption,'; for on most of the boats steam is kept up constantly iii order that all may, l-o in readiness-for hurry orders or in case of such an emergency as a fire-among neighbouring ■ shipping or on docks. As for the other expenses, they, are very heavy. Each German ship must' Tetain its complete crew, and pay and provide for- the men during the timo they are held there. Every member of the crew is signed for a voyage:-be-ginning in a -German port, and his contract is made out to cover the tune until he shall return. This, according to an officer of one of tho big German lines, is a burden which every ship here is bearing.. ' - _ To cite only the vessels of two lines: The North German Lloyd and the Ham-burg-American, the German fleet here represents tho flower of the Kaiser's mercantile :marino. The list includes, with tonnage: The Armenia, 5500; Hamburg, .10,500; Koenig Wilhelm 11, 10,000; Nassovia, 4000; ' Pensylvania,, 13,300; Pisa,ls,ooo; President Grant, 18,000; Trims Joac'bim, :5000; Yaterlar.d, 54,500; Allemaiinia;. 4,600; Graecia, 3000; Prinz EitelFriedricli, 5000; President. ' 'Lincoln,' 18,000;. George Washington, -.25,570; ..Kaisar, Wilhelm 11, 19,360 ; Barbaiossa, 10,915; Grosser Kujrfuerst, - 13,102; Friedricli 'der Grosse, 10,675; Prinzess Irene, 10,8S1.