Norwich bulletin. [volume] (Norwich, Conn.) 1895-2011, 1912-07-25

Inc mystery surrounding the visit
to Canada Of Charles w. Morse and
the lengthy conversations Of that
nnancier with 3. ]. Chamberlain, pres
ident of the Grand Trunk railroad,
was cleared, says Montreal despatch
TO the New York Commercial. when it
was admitted that a plan is under
way for a remarkable consolidation
Of railroad and steamship interests.
The plans in their nature are two
fold; first, working arrangement Of
Atlantic coastwise lines with New
England terminals of the Grand
Trunk; and second. similar working
arrangements Of certain steamship
lines on the great lakes. with Cana
dian terminals Of the Grand Trunk.
1t was with the details of these
plans that the lengthy conversations
of Morse and the Grand Trunk were
concerned, the coastwise situation re-
ceiVing principal attention In con-
nection withthe coastWise schemes at
tention was focused on plans for the
development Of the city of New Lon
don, in Connecticut, as an ocean port.
1t is at New London that the juno
ton of the Grand Trunk with it's
coastWise allies is planned For sew
eral weeks past New London has buzz
zed, with talk Of plans for its water
front development. The agitation was
suddenly aroused and the Grand Trunk
railroad made no denial of being guilty
Of promoting the talk. That the mas
ter hand Of Morse also figured in the
work was, however, unknown.
Operate from New London.
Morse's part in the affair is briefly
this: He offers to place at the disposal
Of the Grand Trunk several vessels
which are now operated by interests
under his domination and to have
these vessels operate into and out of
New London from a great terminus
to be established by the railroad on
the waterfront of that city Among
these vessels are large West Indian
freight carriers which. according to
the plans, will take the produce of
the West Indies to New London to
have it distributed from there by the
Grand Trunk through wealthy districts
of New England and also into Can
ada At the same time there will be
carrying Of Canadian products to
the West Indies by the same arrange
ment
| Among the vessels which Morse is
understood to have mentioned as well
| fitted for such service are some OF
the steamships of the Insular line
which is at present large passenger
land freight carrier between New York
and Porto Rico. Runlors Of Morse con-
troll Of the Insular line were current
even while the fnancier was in At
lanta prison. Operation to and from
the West Indies is, however, by nc
means the full program mapped out
The scheme further embraces SIM
liar freight carrying from New Lon
don by Morse ships. some at present
under construction, to and from the
southern states Of the United States
Originated by Morse.
The scheme of consolidation is IN
derstood to have originated in the re-
sourceful mind Of Morse. The willy
financier had been watching for some
time with close attention the hard
fight which the Grand Trunk was en-
countering in extension Of its system
in New England. At every inch of the
ground the Canadian line found oppo-
sition from the Morgan controlled
railroads, so strongly entrenched in
that territory.
The attempt of the Grand Trunk to
force entrance into Boston found par
ticular opposition At the same time
Morse's lieutenants in the steamship
world were continually bringing him
added reports Of the spread Of Nor
gan domination in steamship traffic
along the New England coast. The
Grand Trunk itself was by no means
inactive in steamship developments
At the Fore River shipbuilding yards
at Massachusetts two huge vessels OF
the type of the noted Yale and Har-
ward which formerly Dlied betWeer
New York and Boston. are on the