GIGANTIC LINERS

Greymouth Evening Star, 11 September 1931, Page 10

GIGANTIC LINERS

CHALLENGE OF ITALY. The decreased volume of tonnage under construction in the world’s shipyards as reported by Lloyds Register of Shipping is attributed to the fact that most snip lines already are cvcr-tonnaged and unable to find passengers and cargoes in volume sufficient to warrant the operation of their present fleets at a profit, shipping men say, reports the “New York Times.” Despite this condition, two new ships will have gone down the ways for widely separated services when the week-end is over, and new interest has been added to the international rivalry on the Atlantic by the prospect of two new ships of the Leviathan type being built by the Roosevelt-International Mercantile Marine Company. The new liner Mariposa has been launched at Quincey, Mass., and the Italian merchant fleet gained a member when the liner Rex was launched tor the Mediterranean service. Negotiations of the Roosevelt-I.M-M. group for the purchase of the United States Lines from the company head by Paul W. Chapman, which were conducted during the past week, revived the possibilities that the Leviathan type ships' would be built. P. A- S- Franklin said he would build such ships when he was a bidder for the lines three years ago, and it is said that he hopes to build them now if he finally buys the lines.

The American intercoastal trade cannot supply cargoes sufficient to satisfy the. ships operating between the Atlantic.and Pacific ports, and an effort is being made to arrange a plan whereby tonnage would be laid up until conditions improve. In the transatlantic field shipping men say that fast, modern ships will meet with success at the lower rates which, the North Atlantic Passenger Conference proposes to adopt. When the announcement was made early last year that the 47,000-ton liner Rex would be added to the merchant fleet of Italy the shipping world viewed it as the answer of Premier Mussolini to the several nations which had started or were about to enter upon a race for supremacy on the Atlantic. The Bremen had made her record transatlantic sailing, and the Europa was about to undergo her sea trials in preparation for active service. • •

The United States Lines had not encountered the financial difficulties which were to embarrass their owners, and the company.was waiting for the approval of the Shipping Board before placing an order for the construction of two ships whibh would match the Leviathan in size and outdo her in luxury and speed. The Cunard Line was planning a 72,000-ton ship which is now under construction, and the French Line a new flagship which, it was said, would excel those of its competitors. The Rex was described in messages from Italy as. capable of making 27 knots, Tvhereas the Bremen, holder of the world record, was built to make only 26.2 knots. Later, while the Rex was under construction, the Europa was brought into service by the North German LloVd Line, and now holds the record for speed in crossing the Atlantic, with a mark of 27.91 knots.

IN MEDITERRANEAN. The Rex will be operated in the Mediterranean service,, and so will not. be in direct competition with these fast liners. She will exceed in size, however, some of the important shipsi operating in the North Atlantic, notably the White Star liner Olympic, which is 43,439 gross registered tons; the Cunard liner Aquitania, of 45,647 tons, the French liners He de Franceand Paris, of 43,153 and 34,569 tons respectively, and the White Star liner Homeric, of 34,351 tons. If the Rex is capable of developing a speed of 27 knots she can make the run from New York to Gibraltar in five days and from New York to Naples in seven days, reducing the operating time by two days in each instance. She will be an important part of the Italian shipbuilding programme which was started in 1923 when the Duilio, a liner of 24,281 tons, was completed. The Duilio was transferred to the South American service, and was followed in 1926 by the Roma of 32,883 tons, and in 1928 by the Augustus of 33,000 tons. Recently the Lloyd Triestino Line introduced the new’ Victoria, the fastest motor vessel in the world, in her maiden trip between Italy and EgyptThe ship is 13,500 tons gross, the largest motor vessel in regular service in the Mediterranean. She made 21 knots oil* her maiden voyage from Venice to Alexandria, carrying a full complement of first-class cabin passengers. This speed will make available a ninety-hour service between London and Alexandria.

The Victoria has six deckg and accommodates 237 first-class, 145 second class, and 100 third class' passengers. She has four screws and four Sulzertype engines, of a total of 18,880 horsepower, installed in two enginerooms, fore and aft. Each engine room is self-contained, and in case of the breakdown of one the ship can proceed at 16 knots and meet all ordinary requirements. The Victoria will replace two ships in the TriesteAlexandria run, and will hold her stops at port to the minimum. Passenger travel to the Mediterranean has retained much of its popularity during the period of depression, and Italy as a shipbuilding nation has risen to fourth place. In the quarterly report of Lloyd’s Register of Shipping' for the period ended June 30 she was topped only,by Great Britain and Ireland, the United States and France. Her total of ships under construction at that time was 170,658 tons'. The Mariposa, the American contribution to recent launchings, will operate between the Pacific Coast and Australia.

“It is significant,” said an official of the line which owns her, “that these gigantic new American flag vessels, like many others now building or contracted for, are pointed for service in the Pacific. Recent years have seen the development of new world currents in foreign trade and travel, indicating that the ‘Pacific era’ is at hand. In American shipyards alone upward of 60,000,000 dollars worth of new tonnage is now building for this trade.”