The Hawaiian gazette., 1917-03-23
?. N. STEAMERS TO
|. RECONSTRUCTION
|. MAINLAND YARDS
s,. --
viii Garry the Flag Of Uncle Sam
To the Farthest Point Of
the Earth
DECISION OF COMPANY
MEANS MUCH TO ISLANDS
Five Great Vessels At Least Are
To Be Added To the Fleet
On the Pacific

In future all vessels added to the
fleet Of the Pacific Mail Steamship
Company will be built in the United
States and will carry the Flag along
the trade routes that they travel.
Such was the statement made last
night by Vice. President and General
Manager John X. Rosseter, VINO, with
his wife, is returning to the mainland
from five months tour of the Far
East, undertaken with the view of fa.
miliarizing himself with travel condi.
lions along the Sunshine Belt, as the
southerly run from San Francisco to
the Orient is styled.
Rosseter takes back with him all the
information he sought regarding the
shipping needs Of Japan, China and Ha-
wan, and the Pacific Mail Company
win be urged by him to place five new
liners on the transpacifc run, and
which will make Honolulu a port of
call e." ..
Whether or not the recommendation
will be quickly acted upon depends in
large measure on political and CONNER
cial conditions in the United States on
Rosseter's return. .... a...Afl
One thing is certain, however, and
that Is that for sentiment as well as
for commercial reasons, the powerful
Pacific Mail has adopted and outlined
a policy of helping restore the Flag
Of the United States to the proud
station it once occupied on the high
seas. a-r .'.. so. . w.
''This is my first visit to Honolu-
lu, said Rosseter, "and / had intended
remaining here two weeks. Owing to
political conditions, however, my stay
has been cut to day. During my
visit in the Orient have learned pretty
well what Is needed in the shipping line
there, while with the needs of Hawaii,
my business has of course made me
familiar. .@IS.,s. s,. s., :
Ressons Tor the More e
"There are strong sentimental reasons
why our new vessels should be built
at home, which they viii be. OF course
my company is particularly interested
in the long haul to the East, but the
undoubted attractions of the southern
run will directly benefit these Islands.
Honolulu is pleasant port OF call of
the Sunshine Belt and Is beside way.
station on the line of insular posses
sions, and, as such, will of course re.
ceive recognition. r.
IF our vessels ran to the Hawaiian
Islands direct we should not feel called
upon to extend our service, as the Isl.
ands have been very well taken care of
in the past by various other companies
Need Five Vessels -.U.7 .,...
"Fve vessels would not be too much
to care for the rapidlysincreasing trade
on the Pacific, both passenger and
freight, and I shall so recommend, but
whether ships win be built in The near
future depends on whether conditions
at home warrant the necessarily large
expense of construction. -.
''Thei cost of steamship construction
today is three times what it was three
years ago, Then it must be taken into
consideration that ON account of con
ditions crested by the war, ship-build
ers are constructing cargo-boats in
preference to liners, that work being
completed more quickly and conse
quently at q greater profit,
"The controlling interest Of the Pa
ciic Mail Company is the American In
ternatiOnal Corporation which with w.
r. Grace and Company owns the New
York Shipbuilding Company of Cam
den, New, Jersey, 50 that our new boats
will of course be built there.
1.-The great trouble at present is that
there is . lack Of substantial interest
and support in the United States in re-
gard to the restoration of the American
Flag on the high seas, In the past the
tendency has been to penalize the Amer
lean Flag on the seas. Providing there
be no adverse legislation and American
ships are given chance TO operate on
equal terms with foreign vessels, il is
only question Of time, and the time
may be short, before the Pacific Mail
Steamship Company will have done its
little share toward upbuilding and re-
habilitating the American mercantile
marine. - AZ 80,
Rossetep stated that the steamships
Venezuela, Ecuador, and Colombia were
operating fully as successfully as had
been anticipated, and that the com.
pany s policy of the hest of service
coupled with courteous attention to the
comfort OF passengers on the part of
everyone aboard was rapidly making
friends for the, three liners and the
company which operates them.