PROJECTED ATLANTIC LINERS.

Auckland Star, Volume LIX, Issue 78, 2 April 1928, Page 6

PROJECTED ATLANTIC LINERS.

A competitive era in steamship construction for trans-Atlantic service is now under way, we are told by the London correspondent of the New York "Times," who hails it as the "fiercest competition in the history of ocean transportation." When the building programmes now under way or contemplated are carried out, he predicts a teu per cent greater tonnage than existed before the war will be fighting for fifty per cent of the ocean traffic. It will, he says, be a competition in size, speed and luxury, but the greatest of these may be luxury, and in the rush to provide it Americans are calling the tune. "The largest and most expensive liners, the correspondent is assured, are earning the best profits for their owners to-day, and it is chiefly because 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 preparing to turn out models which, if 'made in Oreat Britain,' are 'made for America.' Thirteen new liners, including two of the largest ever launched, will be 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 2."),000 tons and is reported to have placed an order for another which will be in the neighbourhood of 00,000 tons. Construction is believed to 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 bo awaiting only a propitious moment to announce the building of a vessel of the same giant proportions. The North Herman Lloyd Company is already building the steamships Bremen and I']urope, which, with a tonnage of 4ti,<)oo and a speed of twent.v-six knots, will be among the largest and certainly the fastest on the Atlantic. The Hamburg-American Line has announced a building programme of eight vessels, two of which are understood to be designed for the passenger trade. The Swedish-American, Nor-wegian-American and Scandinavian lines each contemplates the construction of a new liner. The Holland-American Company is completing the steamer Statendam of .SO,OOO tons, which was commenced before the war. The Cosulich and Xavigazione (Jenerale. the Italian lines, alreadv have launched two big motor ships, one being the Augustus of 3*2,500 tons, the world's largest motor ship and it is understood that another of the same type will be constructed.

'The gross tonnage now employed in the transAtlantic passenger service is less" than before the war, but the pre-war services were organised on the basis of European immigration when the ti attic to America averaged 1.200,000 passengers a year. As a result of the United States immigration quotas and Canadian retrictions and the limitations lately placed on immigration to South America, it has dropped to 200,000. When the new tonnage now building or projected is launched vessels aggregating 200,000 tons more than in 1913 will bo competing for a traffic half the pre-war size.

4 "The new vessels such as the White Star and Cunard Lines are believed to be planning will cost about £3,000.000 each to build. It is practically <'ci tain that they will be capable of a speed of twenty-six knots, since nothing less would give them any material advantage—when the necessity of arriving and departing in the day time is considered—over the existing twenty-three knot boata. At twenty-six knots thev will make tho voyage in slightly less than five days."