The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-07-25
Fly HOLLAND

| New York, July 24.-(Special, ,
 Many of the visitors who are spend ings part of the summer in New York city appear to take great in- terest in the steamship Leviathan. They frequently spend a half day in they may get near view of this stupendous ocean going vessel They seem to be more interested in her size than in the fact that it is costing the government great deal of money to keep her in good condition This steamship justifies the curiosity which she has stimulated It has some characteristics of the senti . mental and curious interest which the first visit of the Great Eastern caused in the United States. Some of those who are familiar with steamship conditions wonder if the Leviathan may not share the fate of i the Great Eastern. That steamship was so enormous that it cost more to operate her than the returns for her freight made it possible to meet. She was on the point of being aban- doned as a commercial failure when just at that time it was found nec- . essary to secure a large steamer to aid in laying the Atlantic cable. This service the Great Eastern performed and after, that was finished it was the end of her.
 The Leviathan was not constructed by the Germans with the idea that she would prove to be a good money maker. German pride was stimulated by the success of the English ship builders, who constructed the Grea. Eastern. The German shipbuilders stimulated by the government. and 1t has been reported by the Kaiser him. self undertook to overmatch the Eng fish shipbuilders. They, therefore, constructed the steamer which is now known as the Leviathan, but they did it chiefly as an advertise ment setting forth Germanys abil- ity as shipbuilding nation.
 It's operation never paid and was not expected to pay Too much cap ital was invested in it's construction and the expense of operating it Was very heavy. It did tempt persons who were able to pay large sums for cabin accommodations, and were anx~ ious to cross the ocean in the largest and one of the swiftest of the ocean steamships.
 Now this appropriately named Leviathan Is the possession of the United States government and one Of the ablest of the steamship managers said this morning that to use mixed metaphor, the government had an elephant on it's hands" Private cap ital might be persuaded to buy 1t l k 1.rn nACt at cf s12,000. 900. Experienced steamship managers say, however. that 1t will never be used exclusively for pas senger and freight across the ocean. Possibly if her equipment was so changed that she become an oil burner she might be operated at a profit. although that is doubtful.
 The Last of a Type
 Probably the Leviathan, whether she is put in service or saiNaged, even sent to scrap, will pass into tradition as the last or the enormous steamers of which the Great. Easter many wears ago was the protagonist. Not again will the steamship con- panies build vessels of the enormous size and tonnage capacity which arc characteristic of the, LeNiathan. For it has been discovered that the small CT vessels are the profit earners, partly because the construction or them entails only reasonable capital investment. and again because of the great economy sec<ired in their op- eration
 The Leyiathan furnished one of the embarrassing factors which are m the problem which the government through the shipping board is now attempting to solve. In comparison with the situation as whole, 1t is trifling factor, although the govern ment Is spending thousands of dollars in orGer to keep her in perfect conds- ton for operation.
 The government itself cannot do anything With the Leviathan except