GERMANY'S SEA TRADE

Southland Times, Issue 17630, 15 January 1916, Page 6

GERMANY'S SEA TRADE

Herr H uidermann, 11 director of tha }lamburg-Amerika Line, who, in the days when Herman ships were sailing all ill a seas, was Herr Ballin's chief or staff, recently delivered a public lecture in Berlin on what the Hun merchant fleet used to be and what it still hopes to become. .According to tin* report of his speed;. Director I luldernian was eloquent in regard to Herman shipping's history, silence itself about its present position, and only communicative in generalities as to its "future," It must have galled his hearers to learn that Herman navigation was at such a pinnacle of prosperity in Ifiltt, a year before the war, that new vessels wort!; more than £25,000,000 were under construction for Herman lines, but that "during the war the enormous increase in freight rates had found Us way into the pockets of exclusively non-German shippers." After painting a dolefully glorious picture of the paa*Huldermanu said: •‘Neutral shipping has derived quit® special advantages from the abnormal conditions whirl; have existed during the war. It is, simply to-day ivl'.ing in money. .Shipbuilding in neutral dockyards lias also increased to a colossal extent. German shipping aft. r the war will .also, in this respect, bate ty meet very heavy competition.'’