Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1928-01-31
BACKGROUND OF EVENTS
BY PAUL +. COLLINS.

This is sensational By 1880 we may
make q round trip 10 Europe il eight
days or possibly nine. That will give
US time for one or two days slgntSee-
ing. And it will not be all IN the air
that We shall travel. New steamers Will
crcSs the Atlantic II four days. and
reload in two days, but all OF the two
GaTs may be saved for the impatient
passenger or the impatient mai. oy
oyCrtaking the steamer by alrp!ane al
most day after 1t has sailed and oy
running ahead OF il by the same air
navigation a day before il reaches port
planes and ariators and IN peace will
be equipped with ~ planes. so there
will be only two days II midocean for
actual sailing. although conservative
passengers may remain on board Tor
the entire four days.
This is not q dream. but q serious
plan. backed by q $50 900 900 corpora
ton and BIZ the leading experts il
American business. navigation and
shipbuilding Il has the approval Of
the United States Shipping Board
from which Il has Just acquired the
commodore o. the Leviath2n 10 take
charge of the inspection. personnel and
equipment of the new veSSelS-Cog,-
lens have been tested and solved; the
initial capital is secure and The cor
poration demands TO subsidy from the
Government II laughs q. the need OF
a subsidy 20 enable the United States
20 pay 30 per cent more for conStrlc-
ton and double o. treble FOR sailors.
and vet lead again. as il did a century
ago. the commerce o. the seas.
The proposal comes from the Trans
oceanic Corporation OF The United
States. which Will build six vessels. 900
feet long and oo-foot beam. Sa,o0o IONS
having speed Of IS 70 IS knots Der
hour-about a third faster than the
Ieviathan or Mauritania The Govern
rent is 10 be asked for q loan, 81 Gov
eminent rate Of interest. OF S94.SQQ. 600,
or three quarters % the cost q cor
strnction, the loan 70 be secured By
prior liens" or the vessels and 70 be
amortired 81 thar Is Will be fully rs-
paid m 20 wears The six ships Will
cost about $40 600 600. The CORPORA
ton will need the rest o. lis $50 600 coo
for working capital and terminals ~
both ends % the route-New York cr
New England. !or America, ard Ia
Havre. France and probably Scu,harlp-
u
world revelation 90 merchant, marine
service.
President Wilder az The TrarSccsa,lic
Coronation tells the shipping Beard
I'm time Of peace, theSA ships vii
nav their own way II strie Q. WAY,
they will Be deadly units q OR armed
forces at sea Tt,eir readiness Will eEn>t
:hn ;aN,savers nothing"
The vessels. oil burning with tOro<s-
electric power. VIII carry enough s0si
10 81 around the world without rees.nS-
Ing, travelling AT feet Sysea. or 70
race al SIS knots AZ hour gcr T,ooo miles
"A ro,,nt trip on the Atlantic All the
fuel and other supplies, therefore, car
be gotten a. the American end.
Each Will have carNacitN Tor euv
first ~elaSS paSSeoSegS and 1000 to,aS ~
mail and express car1sC<sS Our foreign
commerce amounts IL 10000, 90 go a
wear. with All annual fright bill ~
srsS zoo eOo. and ~ this, only - per
cent now travels III American ships
Time was when American sailing vessels
SURPASSED everything On the seven seas,
that status Is ~ ec repeated now uoGSr
steam,
rhr Great Eastern built IL England
IN lSa4-af WAS n gigantic failure, yeS
/, MAS only 1928 toms weight and only
GIT feet ,ong. while these new $Aisss Will
weigh, s.. 600 tons and the iev.athar,
the largest vessel In the world, weighs
80 6s6 tons. The clumsy ('yeas Eastern
was side whceler plus Serew~~a>
wrrA all steamships In its Sav--AGS II
could NOT navigate the hssh waves for
when Il was throwla M lis SIDE ~ sNe I;
Wind one wheel Was paNtoS the AR
fruitleSSly ana vibrating IRE hUlS cts"
aStrouSly, She Was scsapsN>d III 1887.
49,
1t MAS In the early wears ~ tSse nine
teenth century that United States emp
pcr ships and packet HATS were St,lsEenEe
Oh the seas Americans had EeS'tlsd the
le>>>a ~ the lnsks,ttanre NJ merchant
marine during the DAYS pierS'diis she |
War 81 1912 tsuotnS tr>io a pAnpasss .
issued by the s>Nsnnatttse eN N>S'An ttaSt>~ /
poratian " the l1aos>STan't t<Nst>'~ ,
rati.n.
The underlying needs " e'Is teatss'u- !
mg prosperity fcQasge a merchant ma
fine Under oar OWN t>llEfos, ~ assure !
uS regularity NJ Serstce, ami 81 pgosS<>t /,
as against discriminating sageS. The /,
clipper ships and packet @SatS gave I
America these essentials ft<eM iSle IL .
tSta Without help ty<ssn the Government !
AT Washington. other than matl~cayYN~ !
ing contracts, and ON theSe wmrNsle$ !
~ s.xedy voyages and QutSk tarN~ /
around On these sheir ~uS<x>S Mas /
achieved The Sante h,AltS tysse ttNtaS /
III th<Se DAYS tvam 70 e. ~ .
.u H. kA.sataakt.>x ~ shA ..,s.sR u,.s.Ax {