The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-01-22
Building 26 Ships.

We are building 70 new passenger
ships for delivery this spring" Chair.
lan Payne continued. 1.-THE war and
navy departments have turned over ia
us u eN-German passenger ships, but
these having been made into trooF
ships, are not in condition to be used
for passenger service until recondl.
toned, The first of these is the Moe
casln, now on it's way to South Amer.
lea, and viii be followed by other and
larger ships as fast as they can be
made ready for service.
Our present plans FOR the passenger
service to the caste coast Of South Amer
Tea are:
Five steamers. maintaining a BIZ
monthly service between New York, Rio
De Janeiro, Santos, Montevideo and
BGenos Aires
Southhound these vessels proceed d.
reotly TO Rio de Ianeiro, The five yes.
sells selected for this service are all ex.
German steamers Of Is knots speed
The Aeolus, Huron, Pocahontas. De-
Kalb and Princess Matoika." Mr. Payne
said three Of these would be ready for
service in April or May. All will be
converted to burn fuel oil. Their &C
combinations will he first-class and
part OF their cargo holds will be refrig-
Grated TO care for the movement OF
perishable products.
Service of Importance.
"The hoard regards the passenger
service to South America as Of para
Payne. Pending the reconditionins
OF the five steamers mentioned above, It
Is doing what IL can to provide tenn
porary service. The Moccasin will be
followed early in March by the Callao,
and II is hoped to secure temporary
use OF one Of the vessels now In the
army transport service to fill the gap
ana maintain for the present at least a
monthly sailing.
For the calendar wear Of 1919, 100
shipping board steamers were dispatched
from United States ports to Brazil car
rying a total of 4i4,400 tons Of cargo.
To tho river Plate, 100 steamers with
6sa.h00 tons OF cargo. ~
We are planning to inaugurate a
regular monthly service between the
River Plate, Antwerp and other Euro
pean ports In February, and will place
on this run refrigerated cargo steamers
capable OF lifting approximately 5000
tons Of frozen beef loading such gem
oral cargo as may be available
Further, cargo steamers wiz be
added TO this service from time TO
time. there being an ample reserve to
care for cargo offerings
. t1t4Sniis 10 FollCS VI encouraging
established American steamship COM
panies rather than competing with
them, the board will place in service
for the west coast under the manage
meRt of Messrs. ". r Grace & Co,
the Santa Theresa and the Santa Elisa
both lS-knot combination freight and
passenger vessels built especially for
this trade They will call at Callao
africa, lauique. Valparaiso and will fur.
nish sailing every two weeks from
New York. sister ship. the Santa
Leonora, still in the army service, will
be added to these as soon as possible.
During the calendar year 1919, So
shipping board steamers loaded from
United States ports to the west coast,
carrying 10000 tons southbound and
10000 tons northbound. Such add
tional cargo steamers as this business
requires viii be allocated as needed, "
sale Of ships which have been adver-
Used will not affect the South Amer
lean service, Mr.. PAYNE said He esti.
mated that the United States fleet
when. present rearrangements are com.
pleted would total l,6SS ships Of 8, $685.
500 deadweight- tons.