Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1920-09-16
LACK Of SHIPS
HALTS TOURISTS
All Available Accommodations
Are Booked Three Months
in Advance.
PASSPORTS At A PREMIUM
"shIps, Ships and More shipS 10 Plea
From United States Ports-Travel
only Half What 1t Was
In 1914.

New YOrk.-The slogan OF "ships!
ships! and still more ships!" so effec-
lively used during the war to speed
up Americas ship-building program
as a defiance of the submarine cam
paign still Is heard In American sea
ports.
1t comes, however, not so much from
those having freight for transit as IT
does from those who desire to make
trips to foreign shores on business OF
pleasure.
Steamship accommodations for all
lands, despite more than doubling OF
wartime tariffs, and rigid restric-
lions as to passports are at premium.
All Accommodation Booked.
Representatives In New York and
other terminals of passenger-carrying
lines say that all available accOmmo-
datiOns are booked as far as three
months ahead. The unfortunate bust
ness man faced with the need of max
ing an unexpected trip abroad, Is
forced to depend on possible cancella-
lions Of previously engaged passage
on the part of someone who at the last
moment is prevented from sailing.
On many ships third-class accom-
modations hold men and women who
are financially able to travel in the
best that the ship affords. 1t Is no
infrequent occurrence for staid
banker, or a wealthy head Of a large
business house to be found booked
with the humble alien laborer return
ing to the land of his birth for visit.
1t was recently said by the head of
a large line in speaking Of tariffs, that
in 1914 man could purchase tour
list 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-wnv ticket from New York to a
Mediterranean port.
Records of departures and arrivals
as kept here by the Steamship Mems
association show that despite the very
apparent rush, travel is only about
half, as to number Of passengers,
what It was in 1914. In May and June
of that year there sailed from Amer
lean to transatlantic ports 1643OO per-
sons of whom more than 100000 were
classed as third class. In the same
months of 1920 the outgoing total was
sO323 of whom $4,000 were third class.
Arrivals Show Slump.
OF incoming passengers in one
month Of 1914 there were 105, 100 per-
sons. The corresponding month this
year showed 1920 arrivals.
The rush this year and the difficulty
I'm getting accommodations Is account
ed for by the fact that there Is need
ed ships, ships and more ships" OF
the passenger-carrying class. Avail
able tonnage, due to the ravages of
the war, is greatly depleted. The
North German Lloyd and the Ham,
burg-American lines, which prior to
the war carried a large percentage OF
the transatlantic travel, do not exist.
In addition, many of the big liners
of allied flags are gone, as for exam
pie, the Lusitania. Almost all the
ships of the pre-war fleet of another
large British line were submarine vic
tins. Other ships were Of n necessity
laid up for periods Of more than a
year for reconditioning due to their
accommodations having been ripped
out with axes to make them into troop
carriers. An example of this Is the
huge Olympic, which but recently was
returned to her passenger-carrying
trade.