TO LONDON IN TWENTY DAYS.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2133, 16 July 1907, Page 4

TO LONDON IN TWENTY DAYS.

THE “ALL-RED” ROUTE. (Wellington Post Correspondent.) LONDON 24tli May. A great deal of public attention lias been attracted by Sir Joseph Ward’s proposal, and the suggested amendments of Sr Wilfrid runnier and Sir William Lyuo, in relation to an “AllRed” route between New Zealand and Australia on the one hand and Great Britain on the other. The proposals are freely commented upon in both technical and non-teclinieal journals, and a hard and fast line may be drawn between the characteristics ot the respective comments. Xu the noil-technical journals, the technical feasibleness of the scheme is as a rule virtually assumed and tile principal doubt raised is based upon the serious financial difficulties involved. It is admitted that at present only the roughest and vaguest estimates have been formed as to the probable cost of the proposed service assuming the total time between New Zealand and London to be twenty, or at the most twenty-one days. It will be remembered that in the original proposal formulated by Sir AVilfrid Laurier —after Sir Joseph Ward had thrown out, amid aecclaniation, his triple idea- —an average speed of 18 knots per hour was contemplated, this being promptly rejected by Sir Joseph Ward, who deemed a rate of at- least 21 'knots necessary, Sir William went one better, and demanded a speed of 25 knots. At this point a halt seemed to have been called, otherwise the bidding might conceivably have mounted up to 30 knots, or torpedo-destroyer rate. But technical writers are already pointing out that under existing conditions and computing on present standards of possibilities, there is no warrant for assuming that the proposed New Zealand to London in twenty days can bo accomplished. So far there is no ocean liner afloat that lias yet proved able to maintain anything like 25 knots per hour at sea during a run of several days’ duration. The now Cuuarders Lusitania and Mauretania, are built and intended to do so, but have not yet given proof of their capacity to achieve such au average. If they can do so they will, of course, be able to cross the Atlantic to Canada in the four days talked about. The trans-continent-al passage through America is no doubt feasible enough, seeing that some thirty years ago a special train ran from New York to San Francisco in three and a half day's,i.e., eighty-four hours. But then 'comes tho crux of the whole problem, the crossing of the Pacific from Vancouver to Auckland or Sydney in twelve days. It is calculated that Lusitania, if she can maintain 25 knots from Liverpool to New York, will require to burn from 1200 to 1300 tons of coal per day. Somilarly supposing that a like speed could be maintained from Vancouver to New Zealand, the total coal consumption would be at least 15,000 tons and more probably 16,000. Hence the crucial question is put: Flow are you going to provide or carry the coal required for the trans-Paeific crossing at an average speed of 25 knots. Careful calculations are in course of being made as to what sized steamer would bo needed to travel the distance at that speed and at the same time to carry the amount of coal required, while also conveying passengers, cargo and mails. So far the rough preliminary computations seem to indicate that vessels much larger than even the Lusitania or Mauretania would bo imperatively needed. At any rate, steamers of about 30,000 tons. This seems a . large order, but it is perhaps premature to discuss it 1 until more definit estimates shall have been arrived at. Meanwhile ( I content myself with noting what i is the trend of expert opinion. £