Ships and the Sea

Evening Post, Volume CVII, Issue 32, 9 February 1929, Page 28

Ships and the Sea

Germany's Recovery At Sea. In an article published in the "Shipping World" on the subject of Germany : ss;reraarkable recovery at sea, Sir , Archibald ■ Hurd states:—When, under the Treaty- of Versailles, Germany, de'- , feated by.sea. as'well as .by land, was compelled-to surrender practically all her'sea-going merchant tonnage'as well as all her ineii:of-war, except such sur-face-vessels as could be used only for purposes "of coast defence, it must have semed to most observers that her bid for the Admiralty of the Seven Seas had once and for all.failed.. She en--1 tered. the war with tho second largest merchant fleet in the world, totalling 5,500,000 tons gross, her only rival beirig: this country wifh'19,250,000 tons. She omerged from the struggle with a nierchant fleet totalling 673,000 tons, it being thirteenth- in point of size, while this country owned 18,330,000 tons. The .loss of-Jiergreat fleet of merchant ships appeared to be a most grievous blow to the aspirations of Germany. A sense of'the prestige which pre-eminence in sea power Would confer .on Germany had beVn drilled into.the Germans ever •since'ihe early 'nineties by'the Kaiser, and that: great shipowner, Herr Ballin/ •'had shown-her'that she was, capable oi; managi'ig merchant fleets which, woul.d serve, her' Overseas trade and perhaps even, give her the industrial domination cf tho world.. Both these men : were: working for the same object '.by different means. Their theories elashed,'.and the JJmperor won, with tho i-esult; that Herr Ballin in despair took his. life.' He. regarded the future as hopeless, even though he,did not live

to witness; the great surrender of Ger many's mCTchant tonnage. . .

ButjfKCiGcrhian'pcoplo aro possessod of great .twmcity; of purposo and. aro umbucil tWith a-sea souse. Germany, therpfojco^aot'.'taiwork after the war .to Ycbujl(l ih(!r.merehant..floct. It scorned a gigaiitic tiisk, but, as events have provp'(l;; niany. factors of which no one in ;Gcrmany or clsou-liero.. dreamt in 1920—ii'o.t\le'ast tlie'siinendcr of licr old prc-warf tonnage-^-havc helped lie'r. The shipowners, received conipcnsation for. the "s'hi|>s"witH which they had to -part. Thc/iihiplHiildors enjoyed the advautago of lifeap.r.-tya'gcß.in 'the shipyards'and engil>s ; f;sli6t)s,-^is;-..>v:oH, as longer lioura thaiii',jnj:th.ia.*co.untry.. Germany is now aboiit'to.-.oiitjiin •gc.nprous c.onipensatioii frorrji:t.lio-.'¥nito(l-States for (ho vessels scizdf|i;..in/.A'merican'.ports, so. that ■"tire comp'aniqs jvill possess ncic ships,. built at. a',cilicii|)_'rate, and ample financial re-scrvbs.^fQj-Ifutu.re.ddvclgpineiits. :-. again, ranks, next ai'te.if^tljo'lJHtish'niercha'iit navy,:apart frbmitho'tonnngc, inlargo mcasuro tied up tji;.'iitLlemcss..or operated at a loss, iinddrp.the Anierumn Hug. On 30th Jun(j,;.di)2B, ■Germany owned. 2033 vassels !;of- >-;6vcr;: 100. tcins gross, totalling 3,78^i,007-'.'.it.ojiß' gr.oss;. during the quarter ijjVdiiig 30th ,Sopteniber, she ''launched :i17.8j»83. ■...fons -.-gross' and at '.its end ■!-;had :• under ■.'construction. 423,3.75. tons'};, S(3- that her total visible tonnage at ttip;]at.tcr : date was •ii.early'4,so.o,ooo. tons.;'".'.Practically' all 'her ships aro engaged in oversea trade and few, if a,ny, of them,.are laid .upj* while, by,way of c'on.tra'B't; on Ist July, oiily 2,58G,000 tons: of--shipping uider the American iiag ; ';-Wero' .actually engaged in. foreign oyci'seas" trade: Germany to-day, therefore^ has at. sea and under construction a'gfe.dter merchant'licet'than she has over pos'sessqd ■at aiiy 'time except 1 in the .'ithree years immediately preceding the :war. "■'

. The-disparity between British ;ind Gerlnan. tonmigc. is still consiclorablo; on !th6 one hand,, th'er'o is nearly 20,----000,000; tons,' and, on the other, 4,500,----000. ', But- this disparity is being r.e-flu'crd_oiving-to the largo output of.the German 'sliipyanls - ;iud engine shops. ' Already- the Germans possess 'more: toniiago:..'tliani;.thcy owned, in tlio g.'irly years ot 'this century and all tlic sliips are' of recent constnicfidn, except certain sinaller:vessels which may be divided, into ; two .classes-; to the iirst class boloiig. the . ships which were not suriciidoretl under the Peace Treaty; and "thd...second, class consists of foreign fonnage .'which Germany purchased in her hour.of. extremity immediately after signing-.the Peace Treaty. 'The,.. Germans' own some, of the..finest ships under,,.'iny flag, all of which have toon .-laict [down during the past ten y.ehrs'.an'd'arc, 1 therefore, highly., efficient- ; These vessels include 75 ships oi' 4000-6000 tons, 74 of 0000-SOOO tons, 38 of '8000-10,000 ' tons, and, turning to ships- of-the largest class, 12. ranging from; 10,000-15,000 tons, 3 of 15,000----.20,0PQ tons, and G of upwards .of 20,000 tons.' It is significant that, though'the Bfeser: elvgine was -invented in Germany, and ■ s.ovt'ral countries-, including l}enn\ark,' Italy,-, and Swedoiij.arb. concentrating on .the building .of ..motor'-, ships, i, the,'Gei'iiians have in hand : a larger jiiimber of steamers than of ves-sels'-'/priibodying: the- new propulsive enr!s.?v.;\--., ■■-..'.-•.';•, •.-..-.;-•-,. -. Ne^.York-Harbour. ..._.-. ;}j -Tjhc', port authorities of JN'ew York iflroli somo-what;'ctisturbcd'.by the prospect'of having to iwonimodate liners witih a\lengtli of 1000 feet, and small' livoitder,'.writes the "Shipping World.'" ;jfc isrTTcf'eifsy "" matter to" "maiio.eiivrp 'ffifrhir.e.iM>*jrious.-.-s!i i.ps - iiw ~ the ; ■.restricted ilnd crowded water .area, tivailablo, and it 'is^ni'so- rcii'lise'd that additional provision must \>e jnade ilor dealing with such -huge ships when they co'mo alongside the piers. . The' conditions of congestion at New.York are already proving a grave embarrassment, but Jiord Kylsnnt-has revealed that the pier prob-

lem is about to be dealt with there. The present conditions are certainly most unsatisfactory. Owing to tide and wind, the Leviathan, on her arrival recently, was unable to manoeuvre into her dock, and had to' remain in the river throughout the night, to the great inconvenience of her 1300 passengers. Even liners of smaller size arc frequently Relayed owing to the conditions which now prevail. It is little use speeding up the crossing of the Atlantic at : no little expense if, when the ships reach their destination, they have to spend hours before they can land their passengers and cargo. Apart xroin these considerations, rival ports on.the Atlantic seaboard are rising. ! The development of Montauk Posit.is a dream to-day,, but it may be a reality to-morrow, and in any event Montreal is a port with a future, as shipowners . will,realise more and more as the population and wealth of Canada increase. Fires in Ships'.Bunkers. A--very, thorough examination of the causes of fires in coal bunkers and holds has been conducted for some months by the Fiiel Research Board at» the request of the- Board of Trade, states the "Syren and Shipping." The evidence of experts who - have made a special study of the subject has been obtained., It is. somewhat surprising to learn that the number of fires of this kind officially- reported in 1927 was 107, while in 1926. there were 78 and in 1925, during ..the'last five months forl which the figures were taken, there were 52. It is gathered that the outbreaks can bo attributed;in the majority of cases to such causes as local heating by'steam pipes, radiation from boilers or incor-

.'rcct ventilation. Investigations have shown that only a. compaiativuly small number*bf.:the- llfcs have been due to spontaneous combustion. Trade with Glasgow. ■ \ ' Tlic ; dirc6t'qrs ;df tlio :Glasgow Chambqr of-Cominerco hayo r.cecivcd a letter from fho Taranaki Cliainber of Commerce, New Zealand, regarding tho shipping.servino .between '>Vest. Coast ports ..of the: United Kingdom .and tluit IJominiou.' It* was stated that tho servico had proved of great- value, but there wbro complaints regarding'tho in-convenience.-a.iui : lofis .caused to- importers "through'uncertainty aiid i'r'reguI )arity; of'S«ilings.. ThoTaranalti Ohnniber wasV-of Jthc opinion that unless ,some ( concerted effgrt made to securo.a more satisfactory and,reliable .tilne-table,V.mauy of thoir local ' jmportor,s'>vould: bo forced to; bring.their goods, out" via'Lo.ndoii,-from which port v regular and/frequent scrvico m-«s in :'6v>bratioii'. by, the. Glas-' gow Chamber, Jiowcvc)', showod:.. that .th.cro'.wcTo .rngular-.sailings from Gins-, gpwpnco a fortnight, a belter service,' it-poilited put, not being justified at .tlio.'-preson't.- tjmc'',..'as;\tln! tonnage of: '.cargo.'offering:di;d uot.-wnrrant 'it. Rivalry o£. Big .(^ennaii Lines. ■ After .negotiations '.lasting, tlio best^ part 'of "ii year; it has" now' been an-, jipuiiced.^that^all. prospect, of .an. associatioii'of "interests between tho • Ham-burg-American- Linei'iiml- the Nord-> deutscher Lloyd has been 'iibandoucil,-states-tho "Syren and Shipping." It' may bo".recalled that the chief stumb-ling-block all along has been the problem presented'by the 413,000-tou liners ■Erwopa and Bremen, ■..which arc now being built for tlio N.D.L. Tlic pro- ■ position of the H.A.P.-A.G. was that in order .to equalise /the- strength of the two'companies on tho-North Atlantic, oi'io -of-.these- luxury, vessels should be .handed over to,them, two . .20,000-ton liners of lho; Hallin clans being offered in exchange- Bremen, it whs suggested shouhl still be the homo port'of bolli the now' ships', and a furthor -•iiuluc'einent was 'that the risk of the. experiment of;.putting vessels''of this type in the soryieo would bo slinred. Tho X'orddoutsch'er Lloyd, howoveiveoulit not, mco Uieii: Way. to agree to this plan, while another cause .of the breakdown of tlio negotiation's :;ivas-'tlir! intense rivalry botwecu the ports of Hamburg and Urcmen.: According,'.however, to.a., statement uiado.by Dr. Cuuo, chairiuan of tho H.A.P.A.G., .although 'the two concerns will, again be iv open competition, there is no' .animosity on either side, and li.o rate-cutting wars'or other ovidene.6 of ijitcmecine strife need bo: expected. It is ainatter of interest that tho fleet of the Hamburg-American Line now. totaYs .94(5,775 tons gross, of which, no Jess than 747,301 tons have been ,built', since- tho war. When the remaining- vessels now building are completed, tho.tonnage will '■ be 1,017,475, which'will make, this the largest Ger-man-.owiiery. '■ ■ - .-..-■■: .Trials of rtlie Vulcania. 1

Satisfactory trials have been carried 'out by . tlio . C.osulich Line motor-ship. Vulcania,. winch has been built and. engiiied at;.Monfaleouc by the Cantioi-c Navale '.Triestinp. With a displacement of 20',659-tons, she measures (339 ft 9in ■ in-' leugtlr,"Boft lOin. in beam, aud.r47ft 3in-in derjthj and accommodation is provided "fo? 37i;Srst-class, 412 secondclass, 3IY intermetliate* and '568 third-: class?' passengers. The main engines, of: which thercvaro twoj arc of the U. ; and .\V.. double-acting four-stroke type,' tlovelopiilg 20,000. J).h.p. Tlio vessel is in-. '•feinted for".the"'regular .service between i. Trieste, -Naples; JJui'seilleii, .iiin-1--..New .York. 1 ...

.According to the returns pouipili'd by the' Kcgistrar-General-ot Shipping and Seamen, 30'steamcrs, aggregating GO,GoS tons gross, find four motor-sliipa, of 20,----510 tons gross, were added'to tlio regis ter of the United .Kingdom in October.