The Denver Jewish news., 1922-05-10
The Human Side of the
Shipping Board
THE NEW IDEA IN THIRD CLASS
OCEON TRAVEL.
BY Jerome Lacherbruch

| States into the shipping business. Inc
| immigrants horror of crossing the
ocean in the storage of huge vessels
| has been removed For the govern
ment has maintained Il human atti-
| tude toward all who wish 10 enter
| America and, instead of ocn nSiderins
| immigrants as SO many heads to be
| hcrded together in small space and
| counted like baggage. it has recon
dtoned all its ships sd that third
| class passengers now have the same
comforts and attentions that We're
| formerly bestowed on second and first
cabin passengers.
Whenever the Shipping Boards ac-
tivities have been discussed we have
heard only that it has lost money. No
one has yet told what improvements i,
has forced in the transatlantic pas
senger service. That fact is that since
such ships as the Lone Star State. the
Continental State and the Centennial
State, to name only few of the new
er oil burning vessels. have been plac-
Ell III tpInllllSSlbli. lilt YUM
ranies have found il necessary to fol-
low the humaniZins lead of the govern
nent's shipping company.
In America. our standard of living
is concededly higher than that which
exists on the Continent. The Shipping
Board has never condescended TO per
nit its passengers to enjoy anything
less than they will when they arrive
here. The first step in acquaintilg
the immigrant. whether he comes from
the port of Danzig or from Bremen
or Hamburg. with the living condi-
tions in America. is to give him n
sanitary home while en- route In the
days of steerage boats. washrooms.
un@ lavatories were entirely insufiici-
ont for the number of persons who
could not afford more than the cheap
rst accommodations. Today. the sani
tary arrangements of the third cabin
include bathrooms, waSh-bowlS in
every cabin. and many minor arrange
ments for the comfort of the traveller.
Those who may recall with disgust
the small room. below the water line.
containing from thirty to forty hunks
lining the walls in tiers, three high.
will he astonished to learn that on the
government ships. there are no more
congcsted dormitory rooms. but cab
ins above the water line arranged to
accommodate two. four and six pas
sengers The latter are designed for
families that do not wish to be sep
arated.
Another unheard of example of the
consideration the government shows
its immigrants may be seen in the
nature of the food served. For the
first time in the history of ocean
travel. third cabin passengers have
heen furnished with printed bill of
fare. Here is sanpe menu:
Breakfast: Stewed prunes. oatmeal.
fried eggs. rolls and butter, marmal
adc. tea or coffee.
Dinner: Chicken soup. chicken. lima
beans boiled potatoes. plum pudding.
bread and butter. oranges, tea or
coffee.
supper: Lamb chops. bread and but
ter. oranges. roast potatoes, ice
cream tea or coffee.
Moreover. on all Jewish holidays,
separate dishes are cooked especial
ly for Jewish travellers. There is
set of cooking utensils. chinaware and
| knives and forks put aside for this
purpose. | may say here that the au-
thenticity of the kosher cooks is vouch-
| cd for by American rabbiS before they
are engaged. During the Passover
Festival new knives, forks and dishes
] We're furnhlscd to all Jewish pas
sengers. NIntzoths, of course. were
plentiful. This respect for the rclig-
| iaus faith of passengers is Il radical
step toward genuine Americanism, AMI
| is far from the custom of former
| DAYS. as exercised by private steam
ship companies.
Before the United States humaniZ-
| ed travel for the immigrant agents of
the various steamship companies
| abroad would gamble for their steer-
age passengers. When the scramble
was over. n certain number was as
signed to each company. TIL" wishes.
the preferences of the immigrant to
sail on particular steamer. We're
never considered He was nothing
more than n "head''. something to
he counted and passed through a hop
per- dumped with his baggage on decI,
and tim left to shift for himself At