The Pensacola journal., 1919-07-21
Project Engineered by Lee
MacDonell of Pensacola
S,hipbuilding Co. Will Also
Shipping Board. 4
STEAMER NEWBURG is
TO TAKE FIRST CARGO
Escambia, Built by Pensacola
Shipbuliding Co. Will Also
Be One of the Newly Or
ganized Fleet.

| The announcement has just been
| made that arrangements have been
completed whereby Pen.tacoia be-
comes the home shipping port for
| line of ocean steamers TO the British
Isles, TO afford an outlet especially
| for the exporters of the city of Me.u-
phis. The United States Shipping
Board has already approved tho plan,
which has been systematically pushed
for some time by business men of both
cities. and it is now announced that
the steamer Newburg will soon sail
with cargo which is already await
ing. her, TO be followed in two weeks
by the Escambia, recently launched
from the yards of the Pensacola Ship
building Company.
While the initiative in this achieve
ment was taken by Manager Lee Aac-
Donell of the Pensacola Shipping 20.
and the successful end was greatly
promoted by his visits to Memphis.
Washington and New York :lty, few
in this city were aware that cycnts
of such magnitude were pending un-
til Saturday.
Manager MacDonell. when usaed TO
relate the history of the achl' seluent
stated that the Pensacola = dipping
Company had put the project Though
aided greatly by the activities nf le-
cal and Memphis organizations and
others. The officers OF the Penaaco,a
Shipping Company. besfnes Mr. Wac
Donell, are George w. Howe. presi-
dent; Thomas Kent. vice president
and F. d. Tracy. secretary and treas
urer
Himself realizing the possibilities OF
such trading relations between SO
good port as Pensac cola and so i'm
portant and large a commercial GEN.
ter as Memphis. Mr.. MacDonell first
took the matter up with the Memphis
Chamber of Commerce, finding them
eager for such an enterprise and glad
to cooperate with him. Joseph Ne "
burger, especially. he found to be en-
thusiastic for the proposition and
willing to pledge both his personal
support and that of the chamber. even
to the extent of liberal financial par
ticipation i'm the project.
Mr.. MacDonelI then took the mat
ter up with Senator Duncas T..
Fletcher. readily securing the benefit
of his powerful influence with officials
of the government, while the Mem
phis chamber enlisted the like SER
vice from Senator Mcclellan of Tenn
essee. The cooperation of y. p. Bill
UP of New Orleans. assistant director
of operations for the Gulf Division of
the Emergency Fleet Corporation. was
also enlisted, and Mr.. MacDonell stat
ed that he found Mr.. Billup a man o.
unusual ability and keen vision re-
garding the possibilities of the gull.
as ready to help Pensacola or any
~xft~ x.ss.y O.T~ II
ing to help any city that will work
with him. and Mr.. Billup's influence
proved to be invaluable in convincin
the shipping board to sanction the
Memphis Pensacola Great Britain
shipping project.
Mr.. MacDonelI's interviews with the
shipping board itself were declared TO
have been most happy ones. Pensa-
cola's representatives have always
been most cordially received by the
board. and the city has great reasons
to appreciate what the board has done
for Pensacola, and to pledge its best
support to the board In return. he de-
clared. He felt strongly that the de-
Gliding factor In the case had been the
forceful and untiring efforts of Sena-
tor Fletcher i'm behalf of Pensacola.
Pensacola has no stronger and no
more faithful friend that the senior
senator from this state, Mr.. MacDon-
ell asserted; and the constant sup,
port OF the city's interests at Wash
ington by a man who towers SO hi "a
in Democratic councils and comma ds
SO great respect from the opposing
party constitutes asset which the
city well may cherish. he said.
Mr.. MacDonell's visit to New York
resulted In his seeing and interesting
some of the largest shipping and fi-
nancial interests OF the United Statee
In this connected 1t Is stated that the
interests Of Memphis I'm project has
extended to the length of substantial
financial support by some of the lead
ing exporters of that city; and the
local organization here Is being
strengthened for handling the big
in all it's possible details.
These details extend not only to the
addition of other ships to the Eng
fleet as rapidly az they
can be turned out at the local ship
yards; but also to the establishment
Of a fleet to some important South