TRADE WITH AUSTRALIA

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 74, 20 December 1917, Page 8

TRADE WITH AUSTRALIA

AMERICAN SHIPPING BOARD'S FLEET.

' The new .• house tiag of the TJnited States Slriijpiing Board made its initial appearance f iu Melbourne last week, tiding from ,'fche main mast of a largo timber-lad cn barque which moored «t a berth at South Wharf. The Hag, which was a conspicuous object as the vessel came uj) 'stream, shows on a white ground 'the American national shield 111 full colours of red, white, and blue, supported by a blue anchor and flanked on the left by the letters m red "U.S.,''' and on the right by the letters The 'Shipping Board was' created by Act of Congress to form and control a national merchant fleet for America. In addition to the many ships building for tbo board, it lias taken over practicallv all the German shipping that sought shelter in American ports when the will' commenced. The sailing vessel is one of these German vessels. Ori/v-iJiallv a British barque, she was built, at Liverpool in 188 S. La er she was sold to German buyers. \\ lth torn tall masts and two decks, she is a steel crait of 2659 tons gross, 298 feet bug hv 15 feet by 24 feet. Jbe voyage just completed was the v e? se l\ fi f n tn U* an".American ship. / p the- bands of the United States Go ei nmeiit at San Francwro. Aceo'rdiine to London "Shipping' }\orkl, the Shipping Board of U.S.A. is building 1000 cargo carriers. In addition, it wa. cojnmandeering 2,000,000 tons of shipping now on the stocks, and was reconimissioning German ships sheltering American ports.