New-York tribune., 1920-09-29
Typifies Great Growth of
81 American Merchant Fleet,
States Head of Lloyd's
Register of Shipping
Active i'm Orient Trade
Great Lakes Vessels Now Be-
ing Used i'm the Coastal
Service of the Far East

the sight of the American flag in ports
he world over, says James French,
head of Lloyd's Register Of Shipping
In the United States and Canada, who
hss just returned from q trip around
shs world. Leaving San Francisco early
In the year, he visited Japan, going
from there to China, the Straits Settle
ments and India, thence through the
Sues Canal to France, finally returning
from England.
Sven in the suez Canal, where It
vas never seen q few years ago, the
American flag is now q familiar sight,"
Hr. French stated. "At Port Said sew
eral American vessels were engaged In
aiseharging American coal while we
we're there.
"so far as shipping conditions are
concerned, the whole world is In a
4 state Of unsettlement," added Mr..
French. There are too many ships in
eperation at this time, with the result
that many Of them are getting very
little cargo. All the ports that I Wis
tied were congested, however, this being
due to labor conditions, the workers
generally being Yar less efficient than
before the war. This condition applies
even to the Orient, for the coolies have
ssken line from the attitude Of white
labor and will not work as they used
70. The result Is that ships are held
up for abnormally long periods await
Ing cargo, and when this is small in
TO oc As
$40 seriously cut into.
American Steel Cheapest
"When I was in Japan, from March
10 May, the shipbuilding situation was
fairly good, but the volume of work in
hand was steadily decreasing. Ameri-
can steel can still be laid down cheaper
In Japan than it can be manufactured
there. The Japanese are increasing the
domestic output of steel, but they have
not been able to match American meth
ods Of production nor to get down to
the American level Of costs, although
labor rates are far below those in the
United States. For one thing, the Jap
snese laborer is not the physical match
Of the worker in the American steel
mills, and moro men are required to
accomplish the same amount Of work
The small output in comparison with
that Of the American plants also in
creases costs.
"The Japanese government Is doing
all it can to aid Japanese shipping,
chiefly through the medium of sub
sides. This has operated in such q
way that the Australian government
has decided to put 8 per cent
penalizing duty on all goods brought
to Australia in subsidized Japanese
vessels.
= Many ships built or the Great
Lakes are now employed in the coastal
trade Of the Orient, running from
Hong Kong to Singapore, Penang, Ran
goon and Calcutta. These are being
operated by private owners under the
American faG and are acting as
feeders, picking up cargo for transship-
ment to the larger American vessels.
bodybuilding conditions are not
favorable in China at present, and
with the completion OF their present
contracts it is probable that the ship
yards there will go back to the con-
struction of small boats.
c. S. Ships Active at Calcutta
During the three weeks I spent in
India saw a great deal of American
shipping. particularly at Calcutta,
where they were getting a great deal
VA ~ 10 pIoDdUiS ItldS AuSE-
lean vessels are doing better at that
port than anywhere else in the
Orient"
British shipbuilding is encountering
difficulties, Mr.. French says. and there
are empty berths in many yards. This
10 largely due to the cancellation Of
contracts because OF the increasing
costs. British yards do not work on
q contract basis, as the American ones
90. but charge the cost OF material and
labor plus fixed percentage OF profit
Any increase in supplies and labor
therefore ,s passed on to the consumer.
and the scale has been steadily as
eendlng for some time.
Most OF these cancellations come
from Scandinavian ship owners" Mr..
french said but / was told while in
England that British owners in some
cases had also cancelled
:. The labor situation Is particularly
Troublesome. The men are holding
back and increasing costs thereby. II
sney could be brought to see the value
Of cooperation, not only would ship
ping and shipbuilding be made more
profitable, but there would be more en-
ployment than there will be in the
near future il the present state Of af-
asirs continues.
Upholds American Methods
During my stay In England told
some Of the shipbuilders there that if
shey would adopt American methods
aad were not hampered by the trades
gnions' restriction of output and sharp
craving of the line of demarcation rel
eEve 70 their duties, they would build
more ships, and build them more
eaickiy.
st is significant that the use Of
american labor saving appliances is
Increasing, and that the men gre show
sg less resistance 70 utilizing them.
ahey are beginning to realize that to
sGploy these devices means far less
aar anor for them than to operate by hand.
aais III especially true Of riveting.
!, bile the use Of oil fuel for ships
growing 10 a great degree, in some
saarsers there is a tendency to return
- coal. In The Orient, for instance, I
ssehd that the vessels built on the
assat Lakes were being converted back
coal burning.
Demand for tankers is still keen
sofsad, but By no means all the
sss'sssn yards are equipped to build
sasan- There IL also marked advance
= tns call for motor ships IN Great
Ssasain, and the Harland Il Wolf
za.as srs constructing several Of them.
sse outlook is for a steadily increasing
ss 81 sass type Of vessel"
E.xA1ernnan Liner Inefficient
moETETAL, Sept. 28,-Ths former
49, Serman Lloyd steamship Prinz