TO AVOID PANAMA CANAL

Timaru Herald, Volume CLVIII, Issue 23316, 27 September 1945, Page 5

TO AVOID PANAMA CANAL

Ships From Britain To Pacific (7.30 p.m.) LONDON. Sept. 25. The Ministry of War Transport has given instructions for the rerouting of ships from New Zealand and Australia to avoid using the Panama Canal, the dues of which must be paid in dollars. Ships from New Zealand to Britain will normally travel via Cape Horn. Coal burners from Australia will go via the Cape of Good Hope and oil burners via Suez. It is absolutely essential to cut down the expenditure of dollars, said an official of the Ministry of War Transport, referring to the rerouting of shipping to avoid the Panama Canal. He added that it was estimated that ships from New Zealand had paid out in dues £300,000 a year and there was a very much greater sum from ships between Britain and Australia. The spokesman stated that the order is in force from now. It is not a temporary measure. The “Daily Mail” says that the new routes will add 800 miles to the voyage which means an extra four days’ good weather sailing. The “Daily Express” says that British ships in 1939-40 paid out £1,250.000 in Panama Canal dues. Twenty-five per cent, of the ships normally ' using the Panama Canal are British. The Japanese war greatly increased this traffic. Large fully-loaded refrigerator liners pay about £2500. British battleships pay about £4OOO. An official announcement has not yet been made regarding the large numbers of British ships trading with Western Canada and the Pacific coast of North and South America, which normally use the canal.