Evening star., 1939-12-17
y. 5. Merchantmen
First Of New Fleet,
Sails 10 Far Ports
J Prosoie Cargo Taken
East Of Suez, Finally
Reaching Calcutta

DI The Associated 4 Press.

~ inc ASSOCldJcu TICSS.
"A trim Yankee freighter is steam
ing east of Suez, new from her fun
mel to her sturdy keel, with q cargo
Of fertilizer, starches, bleaches, mo-
tor cars and tractors, chemicals and
steel.
No stately Spanish galleon ever
raised more pride in the heart Of
her owner than the Challenge, nor
carried a more prosaic cargo to more
romantic ports.
This first of the new American
merchant marines ca cargo vessels
parts the water with a saucy, raked
prov. The bronze propeller churn-
ing beneath her stern drives her at
better than Is knots, and the OIL
burning boilers that turn her tur-
bines have set a fuel economy record
on her trial run and two trips to
Europe.
The Maritime Commission de-
signed her, had her built at Kearny,
N. j., by the Federal Shipbuilding
& Dry Dock Co., and operates her.
The commission named her Chal-
lenge for clipper of sailing days
which made the trip from New York
around the Horn to San Francisco
Ia less than ITO days.
Six Weeks Out Of Hoboken.
She's at Calcutta now, six weeks
since she was edged gently away
from her pier at Hoboken and head
ed out to sea without any band
playing, shouts, confetti, streamers,
flowers or other of the frivolous
goings-on reserved for liners.
Across the Atlantic and through
the Mediterranean, her first call
was at Port Said, that dreary town
on a treeless strip of land which
guards the entrance to the Suez
Canal. One looks at it, and those
OF her crew getting their first taste
OF the Orient must have sworn at
the tellers of tales If this drab coal
ing station was sample of the
glamour of the East.
But the Challenge wasted no time
at Port Said. She arrived there
November 10, and the next day
emerged from the canal at Suez-
hardly a town to kindle the imagi-
nation-where she paused just long
enough to discharge pipe, oil and
structural steel before nosing into
the Red Sea for Jeddah.
Not much freight for Jeddah, Just
a little general cargo. Not a lot to
look at, either, but still beginning.
Sand and sea and blazing sun, but
at least the town, walled with bas-
tions, Is built of coral and that
elaborately carved woodwork which
Lawrence of Arabia described as
crazy Elizabethan gone incredibly
gimcrack.
Mecca Not Far Away.
Beyond Jeddah, the desert and
hills were the Hejaz, the holy land
of Arabia and all Islam, with Mecca
less than so miles away and as in
accessible to the Yankee sailors as
the moon. y~ &2.T
After Jeddah it was Port Sudan,
to discharge automobiles, and per-
haps to take on cotton for Bombay,
or gum arabic, Ethiopian coffee or
sesame, ivory or goat skins.
Through the Strait of Bah Ell
Mandeb and on to Alden. Steel. cases
Of Oil, and pipe for this cluster of
volcanic rocks swept by sand and
blistered by the sun.
The Challenge has automobiles,
steel, oil and general cargo for
Karachi. And Karachi is in India
land Of durbars and diamonds,
maharajahs and palaces, many
statued temples and 1.-the dancing
girls, holy men and beggars. Ro-
nance?
Well, hardly Behind the rocky
point OF Manora the dingy, badly
built city stands at the edge of q
backwater on what once were mud
flats and mangrove swamps. Beyond
1t Is desert. Also beyond and out
OF sight Of all but the best imagina-
tions, are Rajputana, Punjab and
the Central Asian countries for
which Karachi is principal port.
So far the Challenge and her men
have reached their ports Of call and
done their work on schedule, but to
eyes seeking strange sights the
Orient probably was just blur of
sand and water. But after Karachi
came Bombay.
Harbor One of Finest.
Here the Challenge turned her
bow into the 7 mile wide en-
trance of one of the worlds finest
harbors, studded with islands. On
the left, beyond a long neck of land
with lighthouse, great barracks, and
the handsome buildings of a busy
commercial district. rises Malabar
Hill, government house with its
gardens at the point, and along the
rocky ridge the splendid homes Of
Bombay's wealthy.
A polyglot population swarms
busily along the waterfront and
through the thoroughfares-Euro-
peans, Mahrattas, Parsees, Arab
traders from the Persian Gulf,
Afghans, Sikhs, Tibetans, Japanese,
Chinese and Baghdad Jews.
The Challenge is in Bombay three
days, discharging automobiles, oil,
starch, tractors. bleaching agents,
steel and general cargo. Then she's
of to Colombo-sprawling, hot cap
ital of Ceylon-to discharge more oil,
steel and tobacco. and probably to
take on tea and rubber before head
ing up the east coast Of India to
Madras.
Facing the open sea from behind
q breakwater, Madras is just another
factory town, even If it is Hindu.
The Challenge has motor cars,
starch, fertilizer and oil to deliver
here.
Eight Days in Calcutta.
Last Wednesday the Challenge
left Madras for Calcutta, arriving
Friday for an eight-day stay, plenty
- ill., &a,. L. 49, oroxr, $o eaa tia 1,,,oo