The Washington herald., 1920-12-27
HAMBURG WORKS
/! TO REGAIN LOST
SHIPPING TRADE
Sounds of Riveting and
Many Flags Signs of
Activities.
Special Gable Dispatch to
Ths Washington Herald.


HAMBURG. Dec 26.-Sounds OF
steam riveting hammers in the ship
yards and the flags of vessels OF
many nations in the harbor are evil
dence that Hamburg has already
begun the uphill fight to regain her
former place in the world COM
merce. Though protesting that they
are working under almost insur-
mountable difficulties, the directors
of the biggest shipping interests
and former officers of Germany's sea
palaces are beginning to build anew
with little left OF the pre-war or
ganization except the framework
and memory.
u Many refused to estimate the time
Al would take for German shipping
10 recover from the war. but Es-
nest wIrnmel. chief officer OF the
Deutschland in the days OF her prime
md 8 Submarine captain during the
Mar. believes the feat will be ac-
eomplished in five years.
E1fty vessels Are Building.
Hznhurg's eight large shipyards
ana = dozen or more small ones to-
day eoutain about fifty vessels, most
nj (which are in the early stages
% e astruction. These range from
oa<tsiss steamers of 1900 tons to
deepasea vessels of $4,000 to $4,000
tons they average approximately
s.61a tons each. or nearly 100000
focs IN all. These are being built
for Gsrman companies such as the
Hafnhurg rg-American, Hamburg-South
American, German-Australian, and
German-East African lines In ad-
ditiop to the old yards, two new
ones, the Deutsches Werft and
Blohn and Voss are being construct
ed, The latter is now building ships
for Dutch companies, which later
will turn them over to the Ham
burg American Line =.
At the Deutches Werft, started
the, year before the war, twenty
srnali hoats are now being built
ar s1s-e will be ways for thirty
tvs,y .g1en II is completed. This
yafa. aich is the largest in Ham
hurg Is financed by the Hamburg
Anaf icsn Company. and will be one
Ss. sae chief factors in putting that
conce-a back on its feet.
Feel Pinch of Coal.
The shortage of coal and steel,
and the unwiIlingness OF labor to
maintain production are factors
which make it difficult to preefct
what th.. years output in COM
pIeted ships will be. 1t has been
very small so far compared to the
number laid down-ip fact scarcely
haIf a dozen new Hamburg steam
ers have been commissioned since
The war. The fuel shortage is the
greatest handicap, and the yards
are burning peat or wood or are
using oil-burning Diesel engines for
power. The labor situation is re-
ported steadily improving, although
withIapproximately the same num-
bsr Tof men employed as before the
war ths production is much less
The men openly defy the regulations
about. non-smoking, use cranes to
lift even comparative trifles and
show a decidedly independent don't
care spirit ~
The Hamburg shipyards are not
entirely devoted to building new
ships. Half a dozen new concerns
possessing drydocks are busy re-
pairing foreign vessels which come
TO Hamburg as the cheapest place
TO rent
Combine Locomotives and ships.
Many yards have been combining
repair work on railway rolling
stock with ship construction. The
Vulcan works, for example, now are
overhsuling 20 locomotives and 200
freight cars for the government
railways monthly. ripping out steel
hreboxes and replacing the copper
installation which they were forced
10 discard during the war.
The steamer Deutschland - once
queen OF the seas and the biggest
and fastest ocean liner in existence
when built twenty years ago, but
contemptuously rejected by the allies
as too decrepit for service when
German tonnage was surrendered
is now being completely rebuilt to
serve as a freighter and steerage
liner. The old cabins fancy trim
nings have been ripped out. a new
bottom Is being built and oil-burn-
ing engines are being installed
which give her a speed OF sixteen
instead Of twenty-five knots. This
humbled pride of the German mer-
chant marine. holder OF the Atlantic
record q score OF years ago, and
the last remnant of the great pre-
war commercial feet. will again be
the largest ship flying the German
nag when she starts for New York
under the name Hansa next June.
Copyright. 1870, Public Ledger co.,