Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1920-08-24
PASSENGER SHIPS
BADLY NEEDED
Steamer Accommodations
lacking-Prices Have
Greatly Increased.

| t>6" 1ofth, august 24.--in Slog n
of ships Ships, and still more
ships" so effectively used during the
war to speed up Americas ship
building program as defiance of the
submarine campaign, still is heard in
American seaports 1t comes how
ever. not so much from those having
freight Tor transit as it does from
those who desire to make trips to
foreign shores on business or pleas
ure.
Steamship accommodations for all
lands. despite more than doubling
OF pre-War tlme tariffs. and rigid re-
Strlctlons as to passports are at a
premium. Representatives in New
York and other terminals of passen-
ger-carrying lines say that all availa-
Die accommodations are booked as
Tar as three months ahead The IN
fortunate business man. faced with
the need of making an unexpected
possible cancellations of previously
engaged passage on the part of some
one who at the last moment is pre-
vented from sailing. On many ships
third class accommodations hold men
ana women who are financially able
to travel in the best that the ship
affords. 1t is no infrequent occur
renee for staid banker or wealthy
| head of a large business house to
be found booked with the humble
1
of his birth for visit.
Big Increase in Rates.
1t. was recently said by the head
of a large line. in speaking of tariffs,
that in 1914 a man could purchase a
tourist ticket. including rail fares
and hotel accommodations for trip
! half way around the world for the
| same sum that he is now compelled
to pay for one-way ticket from
New York to a Mediterranean port.
| Or incoming passengers in one
month Of 1914 there were 1O5,10o per-
sons The corresponding month this
year showed 1920 persons arriving
The rush this year and the diff
Guilty in getting accommoda tons are
! accounted for by the fact that there
is needed ships. ships and more
ships of the passenger carrying
! class. Available tonnage, due to the
ravages of the war. is greatly de-
pleted. The North German Lloyd and
the Hamburg American lines, which
prior to the war carried a large per-
centage of the transatlantic travel.
do not exist. In addition. many OF
the big liners of allied flags are gone,
| as. for example, the Lustania- AL
| most the entire pre-war fleet of an
other large British line were sub.
marine victims. Other ships were of
| more than a year for reconditioning.
| due to their accommodations having
been ripped out with axes to make
them into troop carriers. An exam
pie of this is the huge Olympic. which
but recently was returned to her
| passenger-c carrying trade.
! OF the former German liners. al
| though taken over by the United
States and other countries, but COM
paratively few are yet in operation.
One of these is the Leviathan. the
| largest ship afloat. which is lying idle
LOT hov HnhnL oh in u-h r. h
could carry from 5000 to 5000 pas
sengers were she in operation. Levia-
| than could go to sea now. in SO far
| as her engines and boilers are con-
cerned. but alterations of her cabins
| by which she was able to take on
board 10000 troops have united her
for passenger-carrying trade.
Outlook for o. 8. Bright.
! The outlook of the American mer-
trade, however. is very bright, ship
ping men say. The United States
Shipping Board is giving encourage
ment to the organization of lines ade-
quate to demands of the service. The
International Mercantile Marine Com
pany has added to its American flag
service line to Hamburg with two
of Americas best ships making regu-
lar runs therein. Recent announce
ment was made that a new company
the American Ship and Commerce
Corporation. has made a working
agreement with the Hamburg Ameri-
can line for its former trade routes
This company announces that 1t win
handle eighty-six ships Of more than
$4,000 tons. Included in its service
will be several passenger lines An
other new company, recently organ
lied. is the United States Mail Steam
ship Company. to which has been al
located fifteen of the largest German
passenger liners. including the presi-
America, Mount Vernon and President
Grant, all well known liners prior tc
the war.
A passenger service to South
America with five steamers now in
operation was instituted by the Ship
ping Board. A number of new pas
! senger liners now under construc-
ton will soon be ready for alloca-
ton among the various American
companies. A line of passenger ships
to Danzig was recently formed and
it's first ship. former German liner,
is now at sea.
1 Prevailing rates recently quoted
purchased from New York to a Brit
ish port at prices ranging from 5000
up to $5,oo0-the latter for the choice
suites. To France the tariff ranges
1fom $zo0 10 $1,4OO. depending on
the ship and berth Italy as desti-
nation requires an expenditure of
from 1920 up, and to Scandinavian
countries from $3.50 to $500 In ad-
dition a war tax of IS is collected
on each ticket.
Steerage, or third-class rates, are
about what second class formerly
cost. and second class in proportion. To
sail the passenger must have a passport.
the details of getting which include
furnishing birth certificates and sworn
afhdavits as to business abroad, sworn
supporting affidavits of witnesses and
a picture of the pa ssenger for the
passport and for State Department
records. The passport secured, there
is then required certificate from the
internal revnue collector that the an
plicant has paid his or her income
tax. On this certificate a permit to
sail is issued. Viscs of consuls of
countries to which passengers are
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