The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1928-01-10
RACING FLEET
MAY PUT u. S.
BACK ON sea-
Four-Day Service to Europe
Part of Gigantic Plan
Of Corporation.
BY RAY TUCKER

WASHINGTON, Jan. 10.-A revo-
dictionary proposal for restoring
Americas merchant marine with
fleets Of fast ships modelled after the
new airplane carrier Saratoga has
has been presented to the Shipping
Board by Lawrence r. Wilder, head
OF the American Brown Eoveri Elec-
trio Corporation, and a group of as
Sociates, including ship builders and
operators, f1nancierS and railroad ex-
ecutives.
Four-day service to Europe from
a new port to be constructed north
east of New York, probably near
New London, Conn.,, has been
planned by this group. With reg
ular ship to-shore airplane service,
they, eventually intend TO cut the
time distance to three days.
Sailings with ships 027 feet long
and capable Of thirey-fivc knots an
hour will be inaugurated by 1920,
Wilder said today, in an exclusive
interview with the Scripps-Howard
newspapers. This is the first time
details Of his long awaited project
have been divulged.
Big Capital Assured
The undertaking, which has just
received assurances of $5O,OO00OO
capital, and ship construction prob
lens, by four committees Of distin-'
guished naval architects, marine en-
gineers, economists and traffic man
ayers.
Actual construction Of model YES
sels has taken place at the New
York Shipbuilding Corporation at
Camden, which also is owned by
Wilder's firm
The four-day ships would be Of
TIE type Of the Saratoga, which was
built by Wilder's company, with
changes neceSSitated by the different
kind OF service.
Whereas the Majestic of the Gu
nard line makes fourteen round trips
a year at all average cost of $250,O00
a trip, economists and engineers
have declared that the proposed YES
sells could make thirty-seven trips at
an average cost Of $175,0O0.'
Want Federal Aid
Government aid is wanted for
construction fund totalling rs per
cent of the vessels cost, the Govern
ment to take a lien. mail-carrying
contracts and partial insurance of
the vast amount of property in
volved. But it is proposed to in
augurate the four-day service even
II Federal help is not forthcoming.
In return for Government assist
ance, hackers of the new project
may purchase at market rates many
Government vessels now in the At
lantic and Gulf trade.
This step, however, would follow
from the fact that the four-day.
thirty-five-knot ships are expected
to make regular operation of the
older type an economic impossibility,
though they could be used on GER
tain routes. Purchase of the Gov
eminent vessels is only a secondary
consideration in the larger program.
Many New Factors
Greater speed and more econona-
1cal operation, labor and time-sav-
ing devices in discharging cargoes
and only a one-day layover for each
ship In port are said to be the fac
tors which may make the proposed
vessels as revolutionary a step in
maritime DEVELOPMENT as the Mo,oi-
tor and Merrimac were in naval
warfare.
Wilder said that by 1880 he would
have enough ships to replace Ship
ping Board lines in the North At
lantic service.
1t is understood that certain Gov
eminent officials have expressed ap-
prevail OF the scheme during nego-
tlatlons within the last few days.