East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1914-08-19
SOUTH AMERICAN
MERCHANT MARINE
MAY SAVE THE DAY
Many Steamship Lines Operated bJ
Nations OF Southern Hemisphere,
Says John Barrett. These Ships
May be Utilized In Carrying Com
merce While Great War Is Under
way. south American Trade Is
Ours II We Can Hadle IL.

WASHINGTON. d. C., Aug. "a
With European industry stopped by
the war the demand for the manufac-
tured products. as well as for the
food products. Of the United states
must increase by leaps and bounds.
This country can supply the demand
provided the transportation facilities
can be found. We can sell the goods
If we can deliver them. According
to a statement issued by the Pan Am
erican Union. Washington, ID. G., the
situation may be relieved to an ex-
tent BY the merchant marine Of sew
eral South American countries. As
customed TO shipping their goods in
/ European vessels. the exporters of the
United States have perhaps lost sight
of the fact that Brazil and Argen-
I tina on the Atlantic and Chile and
( Peru on the Pacific have lines Of
! merchant vessels capable Of caring
| for a considerable volume OF inter-
national shipping
Late statistics show that these
four countries have combined total
of 46s steamers classed as sea-going.
each of 100 tons net or over. with a
total gross tonnage of 549.267. In
sailing vessels the same countries
have a total Of s22 ships. of so tons
net or over. with a combined gross
tonnage of 204.473. OF course, all Of
these vessels, although classed as sea-
going. are not adapted to trans-ocea-
mic traffic. Some of these lines, how
ever. are well equipped with a num-
ber of modern steamers which could
be utilized for oversee shipping
Notable among these are the following
lines:
The Lloyd Brazileiro. a large COM
pany subventioned by the Brazilian
government. has such vessels as the
Sac Paulo. Rio de Janeiro, and Minas
=, Geraes. quick passenger. mail, and
freight steamers which are of $500
tons. each. equipped with wireless
telegraph and every modern convent
ence, and which have been plying be-
tween Brazilian ports and New York
. The company has similar vessel:
plying between Rio de Janieiro and
! southern ports to Buenos Aires.
The Argentine Navigation Company
(the Mihanovich lines) of Bueno.
4 Aires has no less than s25 steamers
:, most of which are engaged in fluvia
n and coastwise traffic. but many Of
A which are adapted to oversee ship.
ping
t The South American Steamship
n Company. a Chilean line. has flee
/ M ste .F m
n sells plying between Valparaiso and
Z. Pacific ports. with an average of 3.
e GOO tons each. Seven of these make
n regular trips between Valparaiso anC
Panama. some formerly going as fal
as San Francisco. These vessels hav,
j., modern equipment and fairly gooC
: Passenger accommodations.
The Peruvian Steamship Company
: operating under subvention from
4 the Peruvian government. among nu
/. merous other vessels, has a fleet O
five fine up to date, turbine driven
oil-burning steamers, which have onl,
recently been placed in commission
Owing to the recently developed oi
" fields of Peru these steamers are us
: ing oil for fuel. although they ar,
Il built so that coal can be used if ne
) cessary. They are equipped with al
modern appliances and convenience
and have excellent accommodation
l. for passengers. They have an aver
d age of 1000 tons capacity each. anC
: are especially fast. They can maxi
d the trip from Callao, Peru. to Pana
II ma in days and from there to New
II York in as many. more. All could b.
easily adapted to trans-oceanic triffic
These several lines. as well as other
= not specifically mentioned. will doubt
less be ready to grasp the opportunit,
To engage in the most profitable bust
ness at hand. Presumably such YES
sells as are suited to the trans-Atlant
ic trade win be promptly prepared L
meet the emergency. Thus the Soutl
American merchant marine may be
come an important factor in NortI
American shipping.