NORTH ATLANTIC TRAVEL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 18899, 27 June 1923, Page 5

NORTH ATLANTIC TRAVEL.

SECRET NEGOTIATIONS. The Australasian Trade Journal, under the heading of “Transport and Travel,” has the following;—“Secret negotiations between German and American shipowners are still in progress, and have for their object the domination of the carrying trade of the North Atlantic. America’s sudden expansion of her mercantile marine in 1918 represented a capita! outlay of £690,000,000, but in spite of this bold attempt to rule the waves America recognises that she cannot accomplish in five minutes that which it has taken Britain five centuries to attain. German aid is therefore invoked and the Stinnes group is only too ghvd to be able to join force a with a rich ally. Without being alarmed, we are bound to recognise the astuteness of the move. America sees that she has embarked on an enterprise she does not understand. Germany, on the other hand, understands it thoroughly and would be a dangerous rival if she had the ships. That was why we deprived her of the best part of her tonnage immediately after the war. The question arises, is America, after exacting the uttermost farthing wo owe her, trying to combine with our most dangerous rival in foreign markets in order that it shall become physically impossible for ns to meet our obligations to her? British shipowners may view with equanimity the competition of American vessels manned by highly-paid and not too efficient Yankee crews, but the prospect might be very different with a large proportion of those ships worked by Huns.”