New-York tribune., 1920-09-27
Three Biggest
Ships i'm World
Are for Sale
Shipping Mem Question the
Utility of the Leviathan,
Imperator and Bismarck
Under Conditions To-day
Emigration Trade Likely
Field for the Ex.Vaterland Is
Seen i'm the Handling of
the Traffic From Italy

paving proposition! Is question tnac
Ia srousing much interest in shipping
circles at present.
In all the world there are only three
vessels of this type and ali Of them
are the product Of German shipyards.
They include the Imperator. Of $4,000
tons; the Leviathan, $4,000 tons, and
the Bismarck, $4,000 tons. Only one
of them is now in service and no de-
cision has been made as to the future
of the other two.
Even at the pre-war cost OF con-
struction and under pre-war rates Of
operation the Leviathan was never re-
garded as paying proposition. If
this $12,000,000 liner could not be made
TO pay shipping men ask, What can
be expected Of the Bismarck, which,
it is said. has cost nearly five times
as much as the Leviathan to build ?
Interest and depreciation alone will
sun to staggering figures.
Imperator Offered for Sale
The only one Of the three liners
now in operation is the Imperator,
which is being run in the transatlan-
tic service by the Cunard Line. TO
which she was allocated by the British
government az replacement for the loss
OF the Lusitania. Great Britain has
now announced that about forty ex-
German liners are open to purchase by
British shipowners, and among these
Is the Imperator.
Shipping interests in this country are
eonjecturing as to whether the Cunard
Line will seek to purchase the vessel
Opinions vary, but there is no lack of
those who believe that the company's
experience in the operation of the ship
has not been such as to dispose the
line to add the Imperator permanently
10 its transatlantic fleet. Super-liners,
these men say, are Of value only as
floating advertisements, and the new
era Of shipping has no place for this
type Of vessel. The new ships con-
tracted for by liner companies, they
point out, are mostly of moderate size,
this type being regarded as the most
economical and profitable to operate.
Several groups of interests are re-
ported to be still anxious to acquire
the Leviathan, lying idle at her dock in
Hoboken. The financial requirements
In regard to reconditioning her, how
ever, are SO heavy that it is not believed
any attempt will be made by private in
terests with a view to buying her for
use in the high-grade passenger
service.
Field for the Leviathan
Emigration, some shipping men be-
lieve, will furnish a field in which the
Leviathan can be operated profitably,
Reconditioning of this vessel with a
view to securing high-class passenger
patronage, it has been stated, would in
volve an expenditure of at least
the entire original cost Of the vessel.
The present-day cost OF interior fur
nishlngs is SO far above the pre-war
standard that some of the largest ocean
!lnes IN their new ships have aban-
doned ornate decoration and are re-
sorting to simple effects. Even under
this plan, however, the furnishing of
anew liner is highly expensive propo-
sltion. running into matter of mill
ions.
For the emigrant traffic, it is pointed
out, the Leviathan could be recondi-
toned comparatively cheaply and could
easily be fitted to carry 5000 steerage
passengers per trip, even under Amer
iean registry, where the requirements
1or the crews quarters take up much
more space than any other.
sNo matter how cheaply the Leviathen
Is reconditioned and run, however, her
bill for upkeep will be a large one.
rive hundred thousand dollars a round
trip for operating expenses is the fig
nre put BY one leading steamship man.
70 pay this, he estimates, would require
o'ooo steerage passengers, the best av-
sfage to be hoped for being 1000 on
the trip from Europe and 1000 on the
trip back. This would also mean an
average Of 500 per trip per steerage
passenger four or fve times the pre-
way ngure, but IL Is not doubted chat
tnis price could be obtained for some
time to come.
Heavy immigration Looked For
with with the opening up Of emigration
!som Germany and Russia a greatly
increased influx of steerage passengers
ookeo for, even in excess of the
pseseht lnpouring. Italy is at present
furnishing the greatest proportion Of
sae ihhow. There are no Italian docks
a. present capable of accomm odating
sns LeVIathan, but some steamship men
yo.ht out that II she was placed In serv-
.ss 70 Italy pending the opening I'M
VI sae northern European traffic. she
soaid be anchored in Italian harbors
saa sst 'ne emigrants brought out to the
ealn in barges.
-! me y. Bismarck is not yet In service.
Ses iies at dock in Hamburg await
sa as She completion Of her superstruc-
se' Inc expectation is that when
sse 10 turned over to Great Britain
Yynis "lli be alloeated to the White Star
snI 1e IN replacement Of the Britannia,
sa,a saa Will subsequently be offered for
Whether purchasers can be secured
aof the three biggest liners In the
. 'a at anything like their cost OF
ns'suc'ion nm is g. question, shipping
nothing has been heard lately Of the
nnvpos,tion psy ahsi Of Edward N: Hurley, for
mst chairman Of the Shipping Board,
ss - nave the board build i,0o0-Root lin.
m.. ~rs. On investigation, II Is said, il
s.n found that it would cost from
s'.,ooo,ooo TO $40, 900, 900 to construct
"a. vessel Of this size, and the project
sS thsrsupon dropped.
VII Supplies Contracted For
s.s aas shipping Board snnouness that
A. ss ps Toy supplying iubYieating oil
"a, @s.se Cesss ports snd Honolulu