The Birmingham age-herald., 1902-11-14
Washington Cor. Boston Transeript

Washington Cor Boston Transcript.
 N ntw American corporation is (OD the largest and most completely
 equipped steamship company in the world. Its fleet numbers at least 1s6 ocean steamers. of more than million gross tons. The next largest corporation the Hamburg American of Germany owns 127 ocean steamers, of 630.o91 gross tons. The British Indian Steam Naviga- ton company of England owns IT steam CTS of 361, ,695 gross tons. The fleet of the American corporation is greater than the ocean steam merchant fleet of any nation except Great Britain, Germany and France.
 The transatlantic merger, known as the International Mercantile Marine com pany, has been formed by the purchase of the Leyland Line, the White Star Line. the International Navigation company, the Atlantic Transport line and the Do- minion lines. National prestige at sea loses from the presence of an allen dn- stead of the national flag. Under the laws and economic conditions of any other na- tion this great fleet could not at once be transferred to the national flag About four-ffths of 1t is a part of the British naval power, and under British protec- tion. Nevertheless, the organization of so great a company under American aus- pices is an important step toward the es- tan1ishment of the influences of America on the ocean. Other influences In the same direction nave been the rebuilding of the navy and the establishment of modern ship-building plants in the Unit ed States.
 The steam tonnage required last year to carry on the general export. import and passenger trade between the United States and Europe texcluding the oil trade in tank steamers) was about S,oOO,- 00O tons, or slightly less than three times the tonnage of this company. There is, however. an agreement between this cor poration and the two great German lines by which those lines pay annually to it dividends. on one-fourth of their com. bined capital. That fourth amounts to $1i, 900, 600. The American corporation, in per cent on an equal amount of its capital to the two German lines. This pecuniary interest in one another's suc- cess brings the American company ana the two German companies into a plain alliance. Some of the German steamers employed in trade with the United States were not so regularly in this service as most of the steamers of the merger fleet, but this German tonnage has been lately estimated as equivalent to 5O0,000 tons in steady employment m the North American trade This gives to the allied interest, when new ships are finished. command over fully 100000 tons, or over half of that required for our European trade Through the high efficiency of the individual steamers of these fleets and the advantages inseparable from highly developed organization, these al lied interests will be able to conduct at least 60 per cent of the transportation. of all descriptions between the United States and Europe (bulk petroleum ex- cepted)
 The vessels of this new alliance will fly the flags of Great Britain, Germany, the United States. Belgium and perhaps of other countries For manifest reasons, MT. Chamberlain notes, this alliance will become an agency for the preservation of