The New York herald., 1921-07-17
LEVIATHAN LIKELY
TO SAIL SEAS AGAIN
Inspection by Lasker Gives
Ground for Hope She Will
Be Rebilt.
DECISION IN 30 DAYS
$12,OOO,000 Would Be Spent
and Job Would Take at
Least Two Years.
DECISION IN 30 DAYS

A decision will be reached within
the next thirty days as to the selling
breaking up or reconditioning of the
Leviathan, the largest ship in the
world which for more than two years
has rested. gutted and disused, at Pier
4, Hoboken.
Albert D. Lasker, chairman of the
Unite5 States Shipping Board, stand
ing on the bridge of the liner, made
that announcement yesterday after he
and party of Shipping Board officials
had made a thorough inspection of the
big ship.
At the same time Mr.. Lasker en-
phatically denied the much repeated
statement the Leviathan is a rottiug
hulk, resting on the mud at the bot
tom of the river. AS matter OF fact
he said, the big ship, despite its dingy
patch painted appearance, could back
into the river any day and head for
any port in the seven seas. Her en-
gines are in perfect shape.
''The Shipping Board has spent four
billions of dollars Mr. Lasker SAID
Because of this We are now trying &c
save every cent we can, but In the case
OF the Leviathan, IL she Is reconditioned
we are going to be extravagant. IL TINS
boat Is refitted we are going to make OF
her vessel no saro man Will try te
equal in the life Of this generation
Just before the inspection OF the
I,eyiathan Mr.. Lasker and the other OF.
ficials, accompanied by p. A. S. Frank
lin. president of the International Mer
camille Marine, which includes Whit'
Star. Red Star and American lines, wen
over the Olympic. which lay at Pier 6s
Chelsea docks, awaiting her sailing time
later in the afternoon.
Compared with Olympic.
No more striking contrast could be hat
between the luxurious, brightly lighted
public rooms and cabins OF the Olympic
which is a ship of $4,000 tons, and the
gloomy. desolate vaultike interior oi
the Leviathan, which Is 5000 tons
greater. The latter ship carried one
twentieth of all the American troops te
go to France, taking as many as 14.b0'
doughboys on one trip, but to do this II
was necessary to rip out all cabins, pas
sages and subdivisions. leaving almost
bare decks Grim necessity ripped ou'
every refinement of luxury
Despite the depressing dinginess of the
cavernous interior. of the blackened
decks and tarnished brass. the fine work
the Germans put into their Vaterland In
thought and in hand, from the planning
Of the great main lounge, the largest
room on any ship afioat, and in the de-
sign Of the powerful engines, Is still ap-
parent. and most Of the shipping mer
in the party expressed the hope that
this great ship, with the American flag
on her jackstaff, would once more
plough the Atlantic.
Mr.. Lasker. after looking over the
great rooms and the shining, we'll oiled
apparatus of the engine room. seemed
to desire this also.
"The new Shipping Board. inheritinR
the greatest commercial wreck of all
times. has obviously assets that are
mostly liabilities, chief among which
are the wooden ships and the Lee
yiathan." Mr.. Lasker said "The
wooden ships cost 100000, 900 They
will be sold, salvaged or sunk by Oc-
tober I, because they are commercially
impractical.
The Leviathan. costing the taxpayers
half million dollars n year to keep
tied TO the dock. must be either recon-
ditioned and put TO service or sold or
salvaged a decision must be made
within the next thirty days or less. be-
cause II we start the decorating plans
Immediately and work expeditiously I,
will not be until 1923 that she can make
her first trip. and not until the late
spring Of 1929 when the peak load OF
voyagers comes. that she will really
make money.
Typical of Boards Problems.
"The Leviathan typifies the Shippine
Board problem in many respects. II the
board works intelligently and with bust
ness acumen II will be two years before
the public sees results. For year there