SEA TRADE FIGHT.

Greymouth Evening Star, Volume XXXI, 10 May 1901, Page 4

SEA TRADE FIGHT.

German Competition to the Cape

to Begin.

The pushful German ever anxious to compete for British trade (says the Daily Express), i 3 never slow with his opportunities. The German East African line has long promibed a servico of steamers on the western route to the Cape, and war s congestion of the ports alone has retarded the commencement of the entorpiise. But delay and demurrage notwithstanding, the company intend next month to enter into competition with the Union-Castle monopoly, and their [fi: si western steamer will sat its course for Table Bay on 24th April from Hamburg.

Thus will commence a new era in Cape shipping, as the German line will bo the first; foreign one to compete with the British companies. The enterprise is to bo started with a new share capital of half a million, and will be subsidised by the German Government for the carriage of mails. Six new vessels will bo added to the existing fleet, three of them being named the Kronprinz, Govemeur, and Praisident. The steamers will make the round journoy of the African Continent by monthly sailings eastward via the Suez Canal, and westward via Las Palmas. There will also be an intermediate service by the cestcrn route as far as Pclagoa Bay.

The complete round journey of 10,558 miles will take three months, and will place the German Company in the advantageous position of being in through communication with and between the following ports—Hamburg, Bremcrhaven Amsterdam, Lisbon, Las Palmas, Capetown, Port Elizabeth, London, Durban, Dclogoaßay, Quilimane, Bcira, Chinde, Mozambique, Ibo, Mikindam, Lindc, Kilwa, Zanzibar, Dar-es-Salaara, Tanga, Mombassa, Aden,- Suez. Port Said, Naples, Marseilles, Flushing, and Rotterdam.

The round voyage will specially appeal to tourists, and it is quite possible that tho new vessels being built by the Unioncastlo Company may bo still further increased with a view to trading on the East Ooast of Africa. Tho class of vessel being constructed for tho German line by Mesrrs Blum and Vos, of Hamburg, will mako for comfort to attract passenger traffic. Each vessel will bo of 6000 tons deadweight, entirely of steel, with twin screws and double bottom. All tho cabins will bo above the water-lino, and will bo panelled with cool marble. A steam launch will bo carried in addition to tho lifeboats. Tho German boats will not raco. Speed consistent with safety will bo tho order, or, in other words, a comfortable thirteen knots.