Evening star., 1923-09-21
u. S.-GERMAN SHIP
COMBINE PROSPERS
Hamburg-American and Har-
riman Lines Forging Back
/ to Pre-War Power.
ny FREDERICK WILLIAM VILE.

ny FREDERICK WILLIAM VILE.
DIR Wilhelm Cuno, former chancel-
lor of the German republic and now
director general of the Hamburg
American Line, has come to the
United States to look into his COM
pany's profitable partnership in this
country
Americans are not generally aware
that under a twenty-year agreement
concluded under Shipping Board aus
pices in 1920, the Hamburg line is
working on world wide lines with
the Hartman group, the largest in
dividual shipping organization in the
United States.
At the recent annual meeting OF
the Hamburg-American shareholders,
the directors announced that the COM
pany was steadily advancing toward
its pre-war position, mainly owing
to its valuable American connec-
tion."
Benson Approved Deal.
The Hartman group, which is
headed by the brilliant young son
and heir of the late r.. H. Hartman,
w. Averell Hartman, is better known
as the United American Lines OF New
York 1t is with that corporation
that the Hamburg-American allied it
self in June, 1920.
DIR. Cuno not at that time in public
life in Germany. came TO WashihS-
ton and New York to effect the deal
The contract was approved by Al
miral William $. Benson, chairman of
the old Shipping Board. though 1t was
the target of bitter criticism through
out the American merchant marine
world.
The combination broadly provides
for mutual working of all of the
Hamburg Americans globe -girdling
pre-war shipping services The Har-
rimans declare it has proved salts
factory to all concerned. The whole
question of shipping, sald X. IL NJ;
Robinson, president of the United
American Lines. to this writer
should be considered in connection
with the abnormal conditions that
have existed for two years, and stu
exist That our arrangement with
the Germans should have worked so
we'll in the face of these seems to
me to indicate that it was built on
sounder theory than even we might
have thought in making it,
Put Germans on Board.
There has been some anxiety lest
the Hamburg American some day might,
through it's alliance with the Harri-
mans, obtain control of the latter s
extensive navigation and shipbuild-
ing interests in the United States.
Among the United American Lines
holdings are the great Cramp ship
yards at Philadelphia. Comment was
caused a few weeks ago by the cleo
tion to the directorate of the Harri-
man corporation of w. S. Sickel and
Emil Lederer Both of these men
were prominent officials of the Ham
burg-American's pre-war organ1za-
tion in the United States, and they
now displace American shipping men
on the Hartman board. Lederer be-
comes vice president of the United
American lines.
Not long ago the Hartman group
offered to purchase the Deviathan
from the United States shipping
board, as well as other liners. The
Harrimans state they have not in i'm
mediate contemplation the renewal of
their offer for Shipping Board vessels,
but explain that there is no reason
whatever why negotiations should
not be reopened for a part of the
boards fleet eff the board is in posi-
tion TO consider terms that would be
reasonable and satisfactory to our
interests" Some day the great Levi
athan. intended TO be. the pride of the
German merchant marine, may again
make Hamburg as her European
"home port"
Get Most Business.
The United American Lines last
year carried the largest number of
passengers transported across the At
lantic, based upon capacity of steam
ers This result is attributed to ad-
Vantages derived from the old-estab-
lished organization of the Hamburg
American Line in central Europe,
which survived the war. The COM
bination of the two lines in the
American trade has resulted in a fire.
quency of SailingS that give the COM
bined service first call on the freight
tonnage offered. The combined serv-
ice has in addition carried more
freight in both directions than any
other steamship line serving the
American German trade.
At present the Germans have in
the combination four ships. aggreg IT.
ing $1,000 gross tons, while the
United American Lines contribute
four ships totaling $4,000 tons. Thus
the Germans have 81 per cent and the
Americans 49 per cent of the com
bined tonnage. In the "outport" North
Atlantic Hamburg service (Balti-
more Philadelphia Newport NeWs) the
steamers employed are just now en-
tirely under the German flag. but it is
the Harrimans right at any time to
participate in this service on the
fifty fifty" basis.
Operate Eighteen Ships.
Eighteen ships altogether are en-
ployed in the Harriman-Ha Hamburg
services. The most prominent Ameri-
can vessels are the Resolute, Reliance,
Mount Clay and Cleveland. The prin-
cipal German liners are the HanSa,
the new Albert Ballin. the Thuringia,
Westphalia and new Deutschland (the
latter to be commissioned later in
1929 While the twentyyear agree
ment is operative for all of the Ger
mans pre-war services, which net
worked the world, it so far has been
utilized only between Germany and
both coasts of the United States.
The Hartman combination does not
confine it's activities to the mutual
facilities it enjoys with the Germans.
It operates in addition an American
inter-coastal service between Now
York and Baltimore and Los Angeles
harbor San Francisco and Portland.
Services Jointly Operated.
The services which the Harrimans
ard the Germans operate jointly are:
Between New York and Hamburg,
Boston and Hamburg, Philadelphia
and Hamburg. Baltimore and Ham
burg, Newport News and Hamburg,
west coast u. S. A. ports CLOS An
gelese. San Francisco, Portland. Seattle)
y and English ports fLondon, Liverpool,
Glasgow and Antwerp and Hamburg.
The overseas service maintained by
the HamburG-American line. in which
the Harrimans have no present par
ticipa tion, are:
Between Hamburg and the follow
ing: Cuba Mexico, Antwerp West
Indies, west coast of South America
via Panama canal, west coast OF
eellan, Central America Mexico via
Panama canal, River Plate, Brazil, east
Asia eastern Mediterranean-B Black sea
ports, east, south and west coasts OF