Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-03-10
AMERICA CONTROLS
FIFTH OF TONNAGE
This Country Converting War
Fleet Into Freighters
and Liners.
GROWTH IS PROVING RAPID
Merchant Marine Carrying as
Per Cent of Shipping for
United States.
GROWTH IS PROVING RAPID
lspce!al 10 Tho Times-D!spatcn. /

WASHINGTON. March ?.-Amcr;ca a
once more a great factor in oycrscas
chipping. The miracle" ncct. which
she built as part of her war machine.
is being rapidly converted into liners
and frciShters. and already her cargo
carriers arc TO be found in every por,
IN the world notwithstanding the vast
tonnage required stiil by the army and
navy
the American nss now noats from
the masthead OF nearly one fifth os
the entire scasoins tonnage Of the
woriu. Whereas, ut the beginning OF
lhe VA. her ships carried less than 10
2cr cent Of the >ountry's cXcur;s and
imports, today the American merchant
marine aoa.. ,scs 4j per cc:., of al
inc shipping .ctNocn our oyn and for.
the United states Shipping Board
makes public today, and 10 which that
body is pointing wi;h natural pride
In less than two years this spIcnd ID
ilcet OF merchantmen has been Great ted
y few of the ships. it is true, were
scizcd from Germany and Austria. \
few more were purchased or chartered
from friendly or neutral countries, but
the great part OF the tonnage now
in the American merchant servic
WAS puilt in american yards by Amer
iSan woVkincn.
And the country might take note OF
the fact that It's merchant fee. is the
most valuable asset which it has SAL
plants may haTe future value. the
vast docks and warehouses in France
may possibly be cashed in for meas
urc OF their vcluc and the Shipping
ceaters created in this country for war
emergencies may be useful in years TO
come, but no other expenditure of
money. in the prosecution OF the war
viii yield So great q return to the ma
ton. as whole. as will tine money ex-
pended upon the merchant marine
MUCH NEW TONNAGE
RELEASED TO SHIPPERS
Although, as stated the large part
OF the new tonnage is still in The SER
vice of the army and navy. much of
it has been released for general COM
merce. On January. 81. a total OF
3oa vessels were under the. control of
of American troops, and for the sup
the same date ffty-one vessels were
diverted 70 navy use. All told, 75c
vessels. aggregating l.os1,o3s tons,
were employed in the overseas service,
every one OF them flying the .Amcri-
can flag.
The American merchant ships now
engaged upon trade routes are greater
in number than this country has had in
such employment since the days OF the
tween the states. The larger number OF
the merchant craft is engaged in the
TRANSATLANTIC service, thirteen of them
sailing TO West African ports, twenty
three to France. four to Belgium.
twenty-five 10 Italy. three to Spai
seven 10 Portugal. and about tiftcen
10 other countries.
Almost as many vessels are in the
transatlantic service, although the ag-
sresate tonnage OF these ships is much
less. At present forty-ninc sca-car-
riers are sailing to East Asia, five to
East India. three to British India.
seventy -one TO Australia and seventeen
TO Hawaii
The South American trade is being
served already by "a large fleet OF
American merchantmen. Al the pres
ent time twenty-seven are going to the
Brazil. thirty-nine 10 River Plate and
seventy 10 the west coast OF South
America.
MEXICAN TRADE TAXES
MANY LARGE VESSELS
The Caribbean and Mexican trade
has absorbed many OF the best ships
in the fleet. y total of l6S arc sail
ing TO the West Indies alone. sixty
three to Caribbean ports, two 10 Mex
Mexican Gulf ports. Fourteen vessels
ply between this country and Alaska.
and twelve between ports of the United
STATES a,e and those of Canada.
freighters eightyfou freight and
passenger vessels, three frcigh, and
refrigerator vessels, seventy-one tank
which had not known American mer-
chant ships for more than half a
century arc now being traversed by
Yankee kecls. This us particularly
harbors OF which no merchantmen OF
this nation had been seen since the
long gone days of the clipper.
-, \ ~ new =. route re also has been opened
7,5oo-ton steamer Monmouth. The
steamship Westland is making regular
trips between New York, Australia and
The steamship, Abron operates between
New York and India. and the Aurora
between New York and Greece. The
route between New York and the west
coast of Africa. From Portland and
Seattle ships are leaving regularly for
Saloniki. Greece; DanZig and Turkey.
The vessels making regular trips to
the east coast of South America in
clude the West Zulu. the Belvdere
the Polar Star and the Dallas. The
Saeandaga and the Sagauche, Hog
Island products, are also in the South
American trade.
NOTABLE SHIPS ARE
SENT TO ITALIAN PORTS
Some notable ships have been placed
in the Italian trade. including the
rkonk, Du1lt IN eighty days by Skim
ner Eddy, at Seattle. Thirteen
Yankee sailing ships and two steamers
are making regular voyages to tho
west coast Of Africa. bringing back
large consignments Of mahogany.
In January the Shipping Board as
signed some. Of it's largest steamers
to engage In tho trade between Amer
lean ,Sn and, and British ports: These include
iiance. sach of 1850 toms.
They ply between, New York. Lon
don and Liverpool. A service between
New York and Antwerp has been in
augurated also by tho Westpool, tho
Ossawatomio and the Auburn.
When the army and navy release the
353 ships which they are now opcrat.
States will be augmented by I.S73,521
tons, which Will give the country more
than 10000 cons In the merchant SER