The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1920-01-23
FINE PLANS FOR
 SOUTH AMERICA
 SHIPPING TRADE
Chairman Payne Outlines Proposed Actions For
 Better Service.

Washington, Jan. 23-Amrming his belief that only by ships, and more ships could the United States and South America be brought close enough together to "shake hands daily" Chairman Payne recently out lined to the Pan-American Financial Conference the plans of the Shipping Board for linking the interests of the Pan-Amertcan republics on a chain of great steamers plying between the two two continents.
 ment's keen desire to establish an adequate service to South American ports, MT Payne said the Shipping Boards policy ''has sometimes mani fested itself in an optimism which the cold logic of fact has not Justified" :" Notwithstanding that, he declared the Board would proceed with it's plans. 1 In explanation of why fast pas senger steamers had not already 1 been put into the South American service, the speaker said the Nar de- 1 layed the building of passenger steamers by creating an abnormal demand for cargo ships and that the repatriation of American soldiers had caused the War Department to keep in military service many big liners. I've are building 26 new passenger ships for delivery this spring" Chair man Payne continued. The War and Navy Departments have turned over to us 27 ex-German passenger ships
 but these having been made into troop ships, are not in condition to be
 used for a passenger service until re- icondftioned. The first of these is the
 Moccasin now on it's way to South America, and will be followed by
 other and larger ships as fast as they lean be made ready for service.
 | 'tOa1r present plans for the passen-
 ger service to the East coast of South America are:
 Five steamers, maintaining a two weekly service between New York,
 Rio de Janeiro, Santos. Montevideo
 and Buenos Aires.
 ''South-bound. these vessels will
 proceed directly to Rio de Janeiro.
 The five vessels selected for this ser vice are all ex-German steamers of
 15 knots speedThe Aeol1s, Huron, Po- cahontas, DeKalb and Princess Ma 1 toika." MT. Payne said three of these
 wouRf be ready for service in April l or May. All will be converted to burn fuel oil Their accomm odations will
 be first-class and part of their cargo holds will be refrigerated to care for
 the movement of perfsha1ble products. | service to South America, as Of para mount inportance'' continued MT Payne. Pending the reconditioning of the five steamers mentioned above, 1 it is doing what it can to provide. a temporary service. The Moccasin will ! be followed early in March by the Callao, and it is hoped to secure tenn porary use of one of the vessels now | in the Army Transport service to fill ] the gap and maintain for the present at least a monthly sailing.
 | ''F!or the calendar year of 1919, 100 Shipping Board steamers were de-
 spatched from United States Ports to Brazil carrying total of 444, 400 tons | of cargo To the river Plate, 129 stea- mers with 6S9oo0 tons of cargo.
 We are planning to inaugurate a
 regular monthly service between the River Plate, Antwerp and other Flu ropear ports in February, and will place on this run refrigerated cargo steamers capable of lifting approxi-
 mately 5000 tons of frozen beef load. ling such general cargo as may be Iavailable.
 Further, cargo steamers will be
 added to this service from time to
 to time. there being ample reserve ito are for cargo offerings.
 NolIowing it's policy or encourag, il established American steamship
 companies rather than competing witl
 them, the Board will place in service
 for the west coast under the manage
 ment of Messrs. W. R. Grace & Co. ;jthe Santa Theresa and the Sants Elisa both 13-knot combination
 Freight and passenger vessels bui1t es