BLUE RIBAND OF ATLANTIC

Hokitika Guardian, 13 June 1930, Page 2

BLUE RIBAND OF ATLANTIC

“SYMBOL of TEMPERANCE,”

It might be well if those who seem to see in tlie Europe's altogether admirable performance a challenge which it is the duty of our shipowners to • take up were to bear in mind that a blue riband is, among other things, a symbol of temperance (states ‘‘Fairplay”). There arc occasions when recordbreaking may be a matter of intense national importance. In the case of Gerinany herself, for example, the fact that she lias been able to produce such vessels as the Bremen and her sister-ship, and that they have accomplished wliat they set out to do, will doubtless have valuable popular reaction. Similarly, as regards tlie United States, if her shipbuilders can enable her to wrest, the prize from its present holder, they will materially assist those who want their country to- have an adequate mercantile murine of her own, but those efforts depend upon the extent to which they can induce the American people to see pnvse-to-pufsp with them. When, however, as with us. no such reasons have to be taken into account the joys of limelight and ‘‘pot-hunt-ing,” however alluring they may be, must be passed through the filter pf business futility. Wo have, in fact—and we can, safely and pvoperly still do so—to shape our course by the rule laid down in 1902 by Mr Gerald Balfour, the then President of the Board of Trade, who, in the course of a speech dealing with the formation of the Atlantic Shipping Combine, and with the fact that the great German lines which bad entered into partnership with that combination possessed vessels of a speed higher than any which was at the disposal of our own Admiralty, to serve as merchant cruisers, observed: “Hie acquisition of tlie German companies of these vessels of 231 knots has often been made as a reproach to the enterprise of our own shippiug community, which had no vessel of the same class to set in comparison with them. I think that injustice is done there to onr great shipping companies. The plain fact of the matter is that vessels of that high speed cannot run so as to be commercially remunerative, except when aided by a heavy subsidy from, the State. 'Hie White Star Line or the Cunnrd Line would undoubtedly have built and run such vessels if they had thought it commercially to their advantage to do so. If they have not clone so, it was because they did not think it commercially advantageous that such vessels should be constructed, and run on such terms as existed,”

‘To-day, so far as one can gnthfer, there is no need for us to plav at “snatch-as-snateh-can” for the blue riband of the Atlantic. Should it in tlie course of natural evolution come our way, , it will be a matter of the sine,erest ‘ self-congratulation, If the winning of it h aß involved -no wasteful expenditure on our part, • Meanwhile, all that we are called upon to do is to continue to keep onr mercantile marine in the highest state of up-to-date' general efficiency,