GERMAN SHIPPING MERGER

Press, Volume LXVI, Issue 19887, 26 March 1930, Page 4

GERMAN SHIPPING MERGER

CHALLENGE TO BRITISH SUPREMACY. (UNITED PRESS ASSOCIATION —BY KLKCIBIO TELEGRAPH—COPYRIGHT.) LONDON, March 24. A formidable challenge to British supremacy is foreseen as the result of the German shipping merger. While the companies were in rivalry there was much overlapping and duplication. Now they are presenting a united front to foreign competition. Experts point out the opportuneness of the agreement, which relieved the Humburg-Amerika Line of the necessity of building costly ri/als to the Bremen, Europa, and Columbus, which will assume a weekly servico between Germany and New York. In addition to a seven-day Atlantic trip being instituted with the four 21,000-tonners Hamburg, Ballin, New York, and Deutschland, all of which are undergoing extensive alterations, including the installation of new turbines and high pressure boilers, which will double their engine power and increase their speed from 16 to 20 knots, large economies are also being effected in every world route. Meanwhile, there is likely to be no serious British challenge for the recapture of the Atlantic record until the completion of the giant Cunarder now definitely- planned for at least two years' hence.