Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1923-07-03
THRILLS OF LEVIATHAN'S
FAMOUS TRIAL VOYAGE
NOT FURNISHED BY BOOZE

beat the speed record for % con-
eecutive hours, and folks crowded
around the bulletin boards and went
around slapping each other on the
back and saying how glad they were
they'd come on the trip.
Still another great hour was
staged in Social hall the last night
but one out from New York. Gibbs,
Albert D. Lasker and Homer Fer
guson spoke. There were stirring
motion pictures OF the old Levia-
than and the new. Lasker and
Gibbs talked on the American mer-
chant marine, and the approving
wells echoed from deck to deck.
Then Homer Ferguson, directing
genius Of the Newport News Ship
building company. which turned out
the new Leviathan, said among
other things:
Stiff Trial Needed
Our contract was that the ship
ping board and Mr.. Gibbs would
bring the Leviathan to our plant
and come and take it away, SO this
is not really our trial trip. just
wanted to say one thing. I am a
Virginia Democrat and Lasker an
Illinois Republican. But if he
hadn't gone through with this trial
trip, in the face Of all the crit
icism, he would have been recreant
in his public duty. Nobody should
accept a ship like this without a
trial, the stiffest sort of a trial. If
there were more man of Lasker' s
nerve at Washington we'd have a
better government
Of changed labor conditions and In
creased costs of materials the New
port News builders had lost $1,000,
coo on the Leviathan contract. And
Homer Ferguson, ne said, was "a
taxpayer who isn't squealing."
A DRY" Trip
Was the voyage dry" or "wet?'
Guests on the great liner found q
placard in their staterOOms after
boarding the vessel at Boston. II
read:
THE shipping board requests that
on the trial trip of the Leviathar
guests cooperate in every way tc
observe the laws of the United
States relating to alcoholic liquor
1t is your particular privilege and
duty to aid in respect for law while
welcome guest OF the board"
Having made this request, the
shipping board served not a drop o.
liquor on the voyage. OF course
there were a number of hip poke
parties in staterooms. Not a bottle
of LIQUOR was ever seen in either o
| the two dining rooms, nor on any
OF the decks. There was no surrepti
tious pouring in public places Occa
sionally a cOnvivial person came OF
deck after stateroom session, bu
he didn't try to throw anybody over
board, nor jump overheard himself
and didn't make a nuisance Of him
self. He didn't even try to start III
Hail, hail, the gangs all here"
Speculation was principally givel
to 25-cent limit poker, with 'roodles'
after a full hand. In one of the bis
staterooms a few millionaireS PLAYED
for larger, but reasonable stakes
and the same group ''roled thu
bones" a few times to relieved TIL
monotony. Probably that's done OF
all voyages. Anyway, nobody wep
when it was reported around that ;
millionaire had lost a few shekel
at poker or bridge.
There were but two womel
Observation-Disclosures of middle ag
and much ocean experience. The.
said it was 1.-The incest, quotes
bunch of men we've ever seen II
all our trips across, and yod can tel
their wives that for us"
Ready to Tell Congress
Democratic members of congress
aboard, including Senators Fletche
and Oddie and Representative CALI
van, a member of the house appro
priations committee, have returnet
to port saying the trip was wortl
while, necessary and comparativel,
inexpensive. They are prepared 81
to tell congress il anyone wants al
official investigation.