The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1919-11-10


the commercial world.
Cargo carriers must be routed as
to reduce to minimum their opera
ton in ballast. The heaviest single
item in the cost of operation of a ship
is fuel cost. Bunkering considerations
enter into a large degree into the fac
tors which determine the routing of
a ship. Many factors have contributed
to make Great Britain the dominant
factor in the ocean commerce of the
world, but not the least of these has
been the fact that at home and at the
commercial coaling stations estab-
lished by her steamship lines, ships
could be bunkered for many trips more
conveniently and cheaply than else
where. Great Britain is now having
difficulty in bunkering ships. Her coal
out put has been so cut down as a re-
suit of industrial conditions prevailing
at home that an adequate supply OF
coal has not been available, and the
price is so high that she is not in an
advantageous competitive position. So
far as the natural coal resources OF
the United States are concerned, we
are in by far the most favorable posi-
ton Of any nation in the world. If our
production can be adequately in
creased, we should be able to place our
bunkering facilities foremost. The fact
must not be overlooked that the use
of oil as fuel for steamers is increasing
with great rapidiity. From the stand
point of ability to furnish oil for
cfe al in ad MT a
geous position. At present, about two
thirds of the worlds petroleum is pro-
duced in the United States.
TT seems jrobable that the most
far-reaching effect of the war on
ocean transportation will result from
the destruction of steamship tonnage
which took place, and the consequent
changes in the relative position of the
chief ship owning and operating
nations. At its beginning. the United
Kingdom owned Ais per cent of the
worlds sea- going steam tonnage and
the United States As per cent. Now
the United Kingdom owns 34.3 per
cent and the United States 2o.4 of the
sea gonig tonnage.
,iedufinb-cmf wcmf INF inf INF mmm
Conditions of competition over the
two ocean trunk lines next in i'm
are being greatly affected by the Pan
ANA canal. The first of these routes
is that to India, China and adjacent
territories of the Middle East. A large
competitive area as between the Pan
anna and Suez routes has developed,
and while the bulk of eastern North
American tonnage will go via Panama
and the larger share of European traf-
fic via Suez, a considerable readjust-
ment, depending on many conditions,
will probably take place in the next
few years. The same is true of the
second of these routes, that from east
ern North America and western Europe
to Australia and New Zealand.
The question now is to what ex-
tent the changes in shipping routes
which took place during the war just
closed and the relative position of the
leading nations as shipbuilders and
operators will be paramount, and to
what extent they are temporary in
character. Consideration of the main
ocean highways makes it obvious that
the war could have no immediate eff
feet on what may be called the trunk
lines of ocean travel. though. as will
be seen later, it may in the long run,
affect them. Aside from these changes
In the organization Of ocean trans
portation which may result from the
shift in the ownership of tonnage and
in the fuel situation. the war caused
many minor changes in conditions sur
rounding commerce in what might -
called the branch lines of water
borne commerce. which seem likely
70 be permanent.
Marked changes took place in the
routes over which the specified kinds
of merchandise were borne, and, as
result, there developed tendency to
utilize new distribution points No
country was more deeply affected in
this respect than the United States.
Because of the need of conserving
tonnage, many of these commodities
came to use directly during the war.
either via the Panama canal or over
land by rail from our Pacific ports.
While for European use commodities
of these types will probably be dis
tributed through their pre-war chan
neIs. it seems likely that the share con-
sumed in the United States will largely
reach us by direct routes"