New-York tribune., 1918-07-25
Grace Ships To Be
Common Carriers
New Policy Step to Extend
u. S. Marine Trade
After War

New instruments for developing the
American shipping industry after the
war have been wrought by means of
internal readjustments made by W. r.
Grace e. Co. The reorganized agencies
will begi at once to operate ships to
all parts of the world as soon as the
United States Shipping Board will as
sign them.
Designed primarily as a preparation
for the part the American business in
terests are expected to play in the
scramble for foreign trade when peace
comes, the changes announced mark a
complete reversal of policy by w. r.
Grace & Co. Heretofore that concern
has dominated shipping companies for
the purpose of using them as adjuncts
to its own foreign trade. Now it's
plan is to build up shipping companies
and operate them as common carriers
independently of its own export busi-
ness.
AS result of the change the At
lantlc Pacific Steamship Company,
in which W. r. Grace e. Co. have a
controlling interest, is now free to ex-
pand its business as rapidly as the gov
crnment will allocate it ships and to
develop new trade routes throughout
the world. 1t will henceforth under
take general shipping business, hand
ling the cargo of W. R. Grace G. Co.
on the same basis as any other shipper.
Besides operating common carriers the
company expects to get the agencies
for some foreign steampship lines.
Control New Line
Moreover, w. r. Grace G. Co., now
interested in shipping for it's own sake,
have obtained a controlling share in
the New Orleans & South American
Steamship Company. which was incor-
porated Tuesday under the laws of
Louisiana. Three Grace men are Off
Gals of the company, which will act
as common carriers between New Or
leans and ports in the Caribbean and
South American ports, and the direc-
tors are independent business men of
the South. A. G. Bates is president
of the new company; A. R. Williams,
ce-president and general manager;
h. {. Drewes, treasurer, and F. W.
Boyer, secretary. Albert Mackie, presi-
dent of the Albert Mackie Grocery
Company, of New Orleans; E. f. Lafay
Commissioners of Public Properties of
the City of New Orleans; Hunt Hender-
son, of the Henderson Refining Com
pany, and Frank Godchaux, president
of the Louisiana State Rice Milling
Company, are directors.
In accordance with the plan of di-
vorcing the management of the ship
ping company from that Of the export
business Joseph P. Grace, president of
w. R. Grace & Co, has resigned as
president of the Atlantic & Pacific, and
Maurice Bouvier, who as senior vice
president Of w. R. Grace e. Co. was in
charge Of its shipping interests, sue
ceeded him. A. G. Bates, the president
of the new New Orleans company and
treasurer of the Pacific Mail Steamship
Company, in which w. R. Grace & Co..
are said to be heavily interested, has
been elected president and general
manager. He was formerly head of the
ship chartering department of w. R.
Grace e. Co.
Three Ships in Fleet
The New Orleans company will start
its business the middle Of next month
with the steamship American, $50 tons,
and in September the Santa Falvian
and Santa cristina, both 1000 tons,
will begin runs to Cuba, Martinique,
Guadalupe, Venezuela, Colombia. Ecua-
dor and occasional trips to the Panama
Canal. Eventually the company pur-
poses to run ships on regular fort
nightly schedule and 20 enable ship
pers in the sections around New Or
leans to save costs by shipping direct
from that port instead cf from one of
the Atlantic coast cities.
Both of the companies will be op-
Grated, it is said. solely as shipping en-
terprises. The development will be en-
tirely apart from the growth of W. R.
Grace e. Co.. whereas heretofore ships
were sent only along the general routes
of the Grace trade.