PROJECTED ATLANTIC LINERS

Hokitika Guardian, 12 April 1928, Page 4

PROJECTED ATLANTIC LINERS

.*> competitive era in steamship .. i. i". . ion for trans-Atlantic scrv ic e is now under way, we are toi l j . !••>• oondon ioi respondent of tl; .■ j . . k “Times,’’ who hails it as | ■m. evst competition in (he his- ‘ \ 2 icean transportation,” When . ■ 1 ■;Ming programmes now 'under . eoiiteinphited are carried out. lie ..-edicts a ten per cent greater -■••:.ua -e than existed before the war will he lighting for fifty per cent of the ocean traffic. It will, he says, he a competition in size, speed and luxury. Gut the greatest of these may he luxury, and in the rush to provide it Americans are calling the tune. ‘ Tie largest and most expensive liners, the correspondent is assured are earning tile hc-st profits for their owiK'.s to-day. and it is chiefly liecause Americans like to travel in them and are prepared to pay for the privilege. That has been made crystal clear to the British "lines by their New York agents, and some of the British shipyards, taking a tip from the Paris dressmakers, are prepadhig to turn out models which, if ‘made ill Great Britain,’ are ‘made for America.’ Thirteen new liners, ineluding two of the largest ever launched, will he built or on the stocks by the end of this year if the lines carry out their present intentions. The White Star Company has ordered one boat of 25.000 tons and is reported to have placed an order for another which will he in the neighbourhood of 60,000 tons. Construction is believed t« have been delayed while the company decides on whether to install internal combustion or steam engines. “The Cunard Line is understood to have decided and to he awaiting only a propitious moment to announce the building of a vessel of the same giant proportions. The North German Lloyd Company is already building the steamships Bremen and Europe, which with a tonnage of 46,000 and a speed of twenty-six knots, will he among the largest and certainly the fastest on the Atlantic. The Ham-burg-Ameriean Line has announced a building programme of eight vessels, two of which are understood to he designed for the passenger trade. ’Hie Swedisli-Ameriean, Norwegian-Ameri-can and Scandinavian lines each contemplates the construction of a new liner. The Holland-American Company is completing the steamer Statondarn of 30,000 tons, which was com"'•■need before the war. The Cosuiiih

d Xnvign/.oine Gcnerale, tlio’ltafian iii:>s. "Irendv have lamtcliod two him ■ *'i" ships, one being the Augustus • f "I."O') tons, the world’s largest r.ni.u- shin and it is understood that roth-r of the same type will he eon- • e*ed. ‘•The gross tonnage now employed I ji- ‘ tr :ns- ttlantie nassenger s*-r- ---’••• is h .s than before the -war. hut th'v nre-’var servitos were organised on 1 • basis of Kmonoan immigration when the traffic to America averaged 1.200.000 passengers a year. As a result of the United Stales immigrate' • quotas and Canadian restrictions an <!■'. limitations latelv placed on ima t lon to South America, it has 1 -nnped to 230.000. When the now . ‘ ■ nat'e now building ' - r projected v '..... 1-,. d vessels aggregrtivg 200.000 n-s mn-e than in 1013 'vill he finrn- . ...... i',,.. a traffic half the pre-war size.: “**Tr:> new vessels such as the White, Star and Cuunrd Lines are helieved to • • ost. about £3.C00.-1

Pnild. It is practically certain 0 t they will be capable of • - -•> " twenty- i-: knots, since ■ ’ -< would (hem any • ■ 1 -outage—wh-m the neces•sf i ing and departing in the a..- ti-'e is considered—over the existing twei l.v-three knot boats. At twenty-six knots they will make the voyage in slightly less than five days,’’