JAPANESE LINE

Evening Post, Volume CXXV, Issue 144, 21 June 1938, Page 16

JAPANESE LINE

•BIG BUILDING PROGRAMME

The Nippon Yusen Kaisha Is commencing a building programme of 21 new ships totalling 221,600 gross tons. At the completion of the programme the combined fleet of the N.Y.K. and its subsidiary the K.Y.K. will comprise 162 vessels aggregating 1,045,000 gross tons in round figures. These figures speak for themselves as to the magnitude of the undertaking.

Two 26,500-ton liners—the largest, fastest, and finest ever built in Japan —are to be constructed for the OrientCalifornia fortnightly service, via Honolulu.

For the Japan-Europe fortnightly service, via the Suez Canal, three up-to-date passenger ships of 16,500 tons each have been- ordered. They will have accommodation for first, second, and third class passengers and an average«,service speed of 17 knots. The first ship will be completed at the end of February, 1940, the second at the end of May, and the third at the end of September of the same year. They will be air-conditioned throughout the passenger and crew quarters.

The Orient-Vancouver-Seattle fortnightly service is to receive two new 11,400-ton ships with tourist and cabin class accommodation and a service speed of 17 knots. The first is to be completed by the middle of August, 1940, and the second by the middle of October, 1940.

Two 11,600-ton modernly-equipped liners are to be built for the Japan-

Australia monthly run and they will have passenger accommodation in three classes for 320. They, also, will have a service speed of 17 knots. The first ship will be ready by tho middle of January, 1941, and the second by the middle of March, 1941.

For the Japan-China rapid express service one liner of 7400 tons and with accommodation for 590 passengers has been ordered. She will have an average speed of 18.5 knots and will be completed by the end of August, 1940. Four 4000-ton medium-sized freighters are to be built to run between Yokohama and Shanghai. They will have a cargo capacity of about 6500 tons and will be able to carry four firstclass passengers. Their service speed will be 13 knots. The first ship will be completed by September 30, 193 a, the second by December 28, 1938, the third by the middle of March, 1939, and the fourth by the end of April, 11939.

The other ships ordered are seven express freighters each of 7100 tons and with a speed of 16 knots. They will have a capacity of 13,500 tons of ordinary cargo, 150 tons of refrigerated cargo, 450 tons of silk, 50 tons of mail, 1300 tons of cargo oil and 1700 tons of fuel oil. The first of the seven ships will be ready by the middle of January, 1939, and the last by the end of August, 1940. All the ships are being built IB Japan. ,