The New York herald., 1922-05-30
Banner Year in First and
Second Class Business,
Bookings Indicate.
STEERAGE TRADE OFF
More Vessels to Enter At
lantic Area, With Rate
Wars Possible.

The recent accession to the Atlantic
passenger carrying trade of the giant
White Star liner Majestic, the spacious
oil burning Cunarder Berengaria, the
United American liners Resolute and
Reliance and the swift but smaller
ships of the United States Lines has
had a salutary effect on ocean travel.
forestalling a threatened congestion.
The greatly increased passenger carry
ing capacity of the new tonnage will
enable the lines to, take care of all
comers despite the almost unprece-
dented seasonal rush for Europe.
Bookings up to date confirm the
early impressions of optimistic steam
ship men that this will be a banner
year in first and second cabin busi-
ness. There will be room for all going
east, however, even for those not con-
tent with any but fine accommoda-
tions, so officials of the various lines
say. This is because the new and re-
conditioned tonnage furnishes approx
mately 5000 moro berths in first class
ships than there We're in the prewar
transatlantic fleet.
Large List Since January 4.
From January ] to the end OF May
about 80, 900 first cabin passengers sailed
from American ports for Europe, or
5000 more than went away in the
" same period last year. About $1,000 de-
= parted in second cabin. which rs more
than 5000 in excess of last years fig
lIres. Profitable third class trade, be-
cause of the restrictive immigration law,
has dropped from 115.4S2 last year to
7o252 this year. affecting the Mediter-
ranean lines more seriously than others.
But the cabin traffic has been unusually
lucrative, with rates ranging from so to
more than 100 per cent. above those of
1913
1t is noteworthy that the monster
class" of liners, such as the Majestic,
Olympic and Homeric of the White Star
fleet and the Cunarders Berengaria,
Aquitania and Mauretania are not
booked to capacity for the early June
saiiings. The officials estimate that
from S5 to 90 per cent. of the first cabin
berths will be filled in June, and some of
the peerless sextet probably will be filled
in all the July sailings.n
More genuine tourists are travelling
second class than ever. The Yankee in
stinct for equal privileges wherever he
may be has inspired large number OF
Americans TO sail on what are officially
designated as ships OF the second
class" which means merely that they
are not SO luxurious or so swift as other
liners.
The United States Lines "535sp--the
figures indicating their length-named
for the Presidents are being patronized
so literally that they are booked full to
the end of June. They are swifter than
some of the more pretentious liners,
making the trip between New York and
Queenstown and Cherbourg in less than
eight days and having a reputation for
steadiness.
1t may be the high fares or 1t may be
the thriftiness of the voyager that has
caused a large number of Americans to
san n the one cabin ships of democ-
racy.- the biggest example of which is
the American liner Minnekahda. The
voyager on this kind of ship fares as
well as the first cabin passenger of fifty
years ago, sleeping in two and four
berth staterooms and having a real
dining saloon. ~
Problem of Getting Home.
The problem of finding room in the
big ships for the multitude that will have
gone 10 Europe DeIOre the end OF Au-
gust and anxious to get back within six
weeks from the early part of September
is disturbing the lines There will be
some new liners IN service in the fall.
including the Holland-America steam
ship Volendam. of 15,500 gross tonnage.
which will help TO take care of the west
ward flood. but it is believed that thou
sands may have to come back in the
steerage. where there will be plenty of
room and in most instances excellent
accommodations for those not too par
ticular. The returning throngs who have
failed to book for the westward trip. as
many do also may find GOOD berths in
the single cabin ships.
One line that soon will have addi-
tional tonnage is the Royal Mail Steam
Packet Company, which reentered the
transatlantic service only recently after
q long absence.