New-York tribune., 1921-02-14
Germans Push
Plan to Regain
Old Sea Power.
sbipvards of Hamburg Alone
Are Building 28 Vessels
Destined for Employment
in Transatlantic Trade
Kiel Hive of Ship Activity
Teu,ons Better Placed Than
Any Nation in Regard to
Shipping, 1t Is Declared


That every effort is being made by
Germany TO regain it's old place in the
shipping field is shown by recent re-
norts from that country.
0eicial returns of the shipbuildine
-ork now under way are still being
aithheld. but Hamburg advices state
hat in the yards there alone twenty
,;ght transatlantic steamers are in
,asrse of construction, and orders have
bssn placed for fourteen additional
Nine of these vessels are for the
Hamburg Australian Lne, six for the
hamburg American Line, four for the
Woermann Line, three for the Ger
nsn.Jevant interests and two for the
Kristen interests. The other eigk-
,ser are for other companies. These
sresmers average 1900 tons.
New Hamburg Companies
Several new shipping and fishing
gnss have recently been established
~ ,,Dsa Hamburg. one Of the most recent
Ss;nr The Seereederei Frigga. founded
r-;tS capital of 100000 marks
,'aSsr w's1 the auspices of the Hamburg
,rsr;can Line and some Of the largest
.rnn
those in which Hugo SHINES holds q
large interest , 1o4 A.,
sbipbuiiding industry there was well
sgnpljed with orders during 1920. -.
Marked activity is stated to prevail
AZ Kiel which has now been almost
sgtrely divested Of its former mill
tary character. The population has de-
leased by about 10000, but the town
i; said TO be brimming with projects
for making Kiel into commercial and
Industrial port.
Plans arc reported to be on foot fer
the construction Of free harbor, fish
inq has been taken up on a large
ersle and the caral traffic is increas-
inc The former imperial shipyards
and engineering works are being re-
constructed and adapted to peace pro-
auction. They are now building mer-
.bantmen. locomotives and cars. The
Ce1mania shipyard at present is en-
glowing more men than before the
var.
Foreign Control Feared
A number of German shipping COM
pauies. in order to equip themselves
franeially for purposes Of reconstruc-
lion. have increased their capital, in
some cases more than 100 per cent,
The shares as rule are taken by q
definite consortium and given to old
stockholders at definite rate and on
certain conditions, tne object being to
exclude any risk OF foreign domination.
That Germany is in g better position
o-dgv than arv OF me maritime ma
ions of the world is the declaration
made in an article appearing IN the
current issue Of The Marine journal.
II IS potMted out that the German ma
ton is in 4 position to lay the founda-
ions for her new merchant marine at
q time when other countries have
brought their trade fleets up to pro-
portions beyond which any material
expansion at the present time would
he economic folly. With ship produc-
j.ou slowing down throughout the
nation that can build from the bottom
Up, because she has only a few hundred
thousand tons left of the millions she
held before the war,
With only 100000 gross tons of ship
ping under the German flag at pres
'lt. it is declared, she can build enough
in her own shipyards in the next five
vars TO bring the total trade feet up
. 100000 tons and perhaps to
100000 And 80 per cent of this
lhnage," it is added, will be composed
o. the most modern vessels, balanced
na nicely to meet the new trade needs
'i the world and constructed at costs
probably far below those OF any other
nation.
Germany Has Advantages
Her competitors five years from
4 now" continues The Marine Journal,
Will nave a world feet only slightly
Npandedd. beyond its present size and
@nposed very largely of ships much
Nef than Germany's, and therefore
4 ,ssS ehlcient and more costly to run.
~ The matter Of repairs alone Ger
many, will have a ready made differ
atIsl that will go far in her favor,
nlth less than half million tons
- ner possession now, Germany is in
gOsitlon where the period of depres-
nS n1n IN shipping will fall much more
4 IN" Ely on her than on any other mari
,r Dy y the time she is ready to 20 back
s.. 'ae seas with a real mercantile
Sse. conditions will undoubtedly have
Sa S%pfoyed and she will be able to reap
bay,s auvah.ages Of good times without
4 ing suffered the effects of bad times.
g "u, furthermore, she will have had
snu.a ou aauVantage OF having had her trade
sbIs bIses Kept open for her and of being
trsrns 70 take up her old trade prac-
sVsily where she left off Of tbe o,,t