New-York tribune., 1921-03-14
Offset to Low
Freights Seen
In Motor Ships
Change of Machinery Urged
on British Owners. Who
Seek to Cancel Orders
Given for Steam Vessels
Double-Acting Diesel Out
German Invention Found i'm
Boat Turned Over to Eng
lish: Motor Liners Due

That the sharp decline in ocean
freishts, coupled with the realization
.ba, no return to anything like the
ear level Of rates can be looked for,
srs increasing the movement abroad
io- motor-ship building, IS the argu-
,ent now advanced by advocates Of
that type ot constructions Economies
possible through the use of motor
,hips. it is pointed out, will enable
vessels OF this kind to operate profit
ably at level Of freights which would
mean losses to other kinds of ton
aage
Frank c Munson. head OF the Nun
son Steamship Company, recently
u-ged that tho Shipping Board should
rsIace the machinery in large nun
ber Of It's vessels with Diesel equip
nen. and thereby make them both
ssiable and profitable 70 American
SID owners The large cost of such
move, however, has been put forward
IS a. argument against the plan.
A somewhat similar plan is now be-
ing advocated in England. and is being
laG hSfore ship owners with cargo
steamers now on order. Many con-
tracts have been Cancelled because of
he general depression in shipping and
the prospect that the ships would cost
100 much to insure any adequate return
on the investment
Change to Diesels Urged
"lnstesd Of canceling these con
u
owners should. i the construction has
not gone too far. cancel the machinery
and arrange to install oil engines in
stead Of steam plant The extra cost
would be small since ship Of from 3
% 10 per cent extra cargo-carrying ca
Dacity would be maintained. and as the
machinery costs perhaps 20 to 25 per
cent more. the price per ton dead
weight o the completed vessel IS
scarcely IN excess Of the CORES sponding
steamer
There are hundreds Of ships now on
order which might be so converted
Completed - steamers, they Will be
come obsolete nearly as soon as they
cave the builders yard. and viii. in
many cases, have to be laid, up after
heir first voyage. or even before In
he coming times Of stress probably
not single motor ship will be laid up
among the dozens Of steamers which
must accept this fate. and even the
question Of the longer time needed for
completion Of the Diesel engine instead
Of the steam machinery is all in favor
0. the ship owner who 5 not i'm great
hurry Tor his new vessel
High Freight Period Past
p-f-
hang built TO the almost entire ex-
c.usior of steam vessels in Sweden.
Denmark and Norway. the British pub
cation Motor Ship saws that it seems
clear that the DAY Of excessively high
'rsights such a. were normal last year
mas disappeared for a very long period.
Ship owners, It Is added, are there
lore no longer in the happy position
Vnlcn they occupied in 1920 Of being
able to ignore the heavy running costs
and they viii now he forced TO adopt
every possible economy. Figures based
on actual costs of operation show that
aa eieyen-kn0t motor ship Of about
igO0O tons viii save anything between
s-oO00 and 10000 per annum, as com
pared with coal oif oil fired steamer.
With feet Of these vessels 1T is
easy TO see how their owners can bear
lall IN fire. chts with much greater
.elanimlty than their competitors re
NlAg wholly OH steamers. There ar
ne" several such ship-owing compa-
8ies qavlng from TOUR to ten motor yes
'siS IN regular service. 1t is sufficient To
say tnat these firms, which alone know
0e'A sides of the question, are now
saoptng Only motor vessels and have
t''en up the construction Of steamers.
German Policy Unknown
how far Germany is going into tho
construction OF Diesel engined ships
u the construction OF her new mer-
'0ant marine is not known. because
no 'lgures giving details Of the ship
0lAaWg IN tina, country at present arc
"aNahle I've new Developments in
'nls direction nave come out Of Ger
many, nowere-. One lis al oil turbine
-V' msrne use and the other double
acting Diesel engine. Tho latter is in
Fi'lsn hands, having been discovered
! one Of the vessels turned over b.,
eermany lis operation is now being
studied and it Is pointed out that it
pens up d vista of oil engine con
Nfuction In very large powers, com
olning reduction OF weight with dimi-
luton OF initial cost. as com pared witt
'Al.stg types
me nrst motor passenger liner con
NFucted Oh large scale Is nearin"
-ompletion at Il British shiDyard. and
'e Will shortly be followed by others.
Nay Is building several Of these YES
seis The British ship the Magvana
Niil have accommodations for $50 pas
sehsers. She is the first of three be
ng constructed on the Clyde for the
british India Steam Navigation Com
psny The Italian motor liners wi
prooaoly be placed IN the trans Atlantic