Los Angeles herald., 1907-01-27
LIVERPOOL TO
LOSE BIG LINERS
FAST MAIL STEAMERS GO TO
SOUTHAMPTON
White Star Line Leads and Others
Follow--WIlI Mean Much for the
New Port, but the Old One
Is Dlsmayed
snec,a, Cable to The Herald.

snecial Cable to The Herald.
LONDON. Jan. 26.-Two announce
ments of the utmost Importance to the
shipping world were made recently.
The first is the official statement by the
White Star line that it has decided to
transfer its Wednesday royal mail SER
vice from Liverpool to Southampton,
and the second that the London &
Southwestern Railway company has
decided to construct at Southampton
the largest wet dock in the world.
The two announcements are not di-
rectly connected with each other. The
docks at Southampton are quite suf-
ficient to accommodate the new de-
mands to be made on them by the
White Star lines decision, and were
this the only additional traffic likely
to be gained by the famous Hampshire
port so large an expenditure as the
half million which the new docks are
to cost would hardly be justified.
There can be no doubt, however,
that in making their decision the di-
rectors of the London & Southwest
ern railway had their eye on the two
mammoth Cunarders now being COM
pleted with the money lent by the gov
ernment. When these vessels begin
their work as ocean travellers some diff
flculty will be found in providing them
with adequate dock accommodation.
and 1t Is more than likely that event
ually Southampton will be chosen as
their home port
Reasons for Change
The White Star line, in making the
announcement of the forthcoming
change in its sailings, is careful to state
that the reason for taking the impor-
tant action is not due to any short
comings in connection with the Liver
pool docks or approaches. The change
Is simply and solely to meet the grow
Ing demand of travellers that facilities
should be provided to enable them to
embark and diseambark at either a
continental or British port, thus OBJ
waiting in the former case the neces-
sity of long journey from one end of
England to the other and a further
sea voyage across the channel
1t will be the first time for many
years that a British liner will call at a
continental port for transatlantic pas
Sengers.
The leading German lines have long
recognized the desirability of meeting
this demand. Their New York steamers
call at both a British and a French
port, and there is no doubt that they
nave in this way secured a very large
share of the better class passenger traf-
fic across the Atlantic.
Wednesday SaiIings
The new service will be the third
Wednesday service to New York sail
ing from Southampton, both the Ham
burg g-Amerlcan and the North German
Lloyd lines having boats sailing on
that day for New York. The American
lines Saturday boats also start from
Southampton.
Rumors of the impending changes
had been current for some days pre-
vious to the Official announcement, and
We're sufficient to send up the stock of
the London e. Southwestern Railway
company. the principal railway inter-
ested, by severay points.
1t was only day or two ago that the
leading members of the shipping CEN
ters of Liverpool ascertained the de-
cision of the White Star line. Even the
members of the Mersey docks and har-
Dor board had been kept in ignorance
of the fact. The news as conveyed by
an Express representative created in
tense surprise, and 1t was generally
felt that another blow had been struck
at the prestige of Liverpool as a port.