THE ORIENT LINE

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19503, 11 June 1925, Page 9

THE ORIENT LINE

LAUNCHING OF OTRANTO. STATE SHIPPING CONDEMNED. Press Association-By Telegraph-Copyright LONDON, June 9. Tho Australian Press Association states that a great crowd, including many Australians, witnessed the launching o Otranto from the slipway overlooking the shed, in ™ r i “id tralian submarines will shortly be laid down. A bottle of Australian burgun* was broken over the bows. The Orianto promises to be the Orient o pa y iliow ship. She will sail for Australia U 1 llwi 11 speech at a subsequent luncheon. Sir Alan Anderson (a joint manager ol U Orient Line) emphasised that the cycle of depression was affecting first—the im*chant, then the ship-owner, and finally the builder. The last named was competing with people who had not ad justed their compasses to the new condlions. Perhaps Britishers Mould later find they were not so much above their rival’s prices. There was a spectacle of nations embarking on ship-owning, which they were incompetent to undertake, involving losses which they could ill-afford to bear. For instance, the Italians were hoping to restrict the transit of Italians to Italian ships to the disadvantage ot the Orient Line, which so far bad conveyed Italians to Australia. The Italians declared that they hoped to maintain their Italian identity in a new country. He was not surprised that Australia resented the idea. She wanted new citizens, but not aliens. He also was not surprised that there was no answer ta the invitation for tenders for tho purchase of the Commonwealth Line. Australia needed loans, and, more important, private enterprise, which financed itselt. He was of opinion that the existence of national trading, which was causing a loss of millions of pounds, was the worst of advertisements for Australia. A. and N.Z. Cable. AIRS AMERY PERFORMS CEREMONY. LONDON, June 9. (Received June 10, at 9 p.m.) Mrs Amcry launched at Vickers yards tho 20,000-ton Orient liner Otranto for tho Australian mail service. ' The steamer will accommodate 600 first-class and 1200 third-class passengers.—A. and N.A. Cable. The Otranto is the last of three new steamers built bv the Orient Company, tho others being tho Oronsay and the Orama. They have a gross tonnage of approximately 20,000 —equal in size to the largest vessels running to Australia: length 6ooft; _ beam 75ft; depth 47ft. There is provision for a total of 1250 passengers, 600 of whom will be accommodated in the first-class, including 250 in single-berth cabins. Insulated bolds Avill provide space for 4000 tons of refrigerated cargo.