page_title: American Palestine Line
section_title: Background
hierarchical_section_title: American Palestine Line / Background
caption_attribution_description: SS Princess Alice (German Passenger Liner, 1900) Interned at Cebu, Philippine Islands, circa 1914-1916. This ship later served as USS Princess Matoika. Collection of C.A. Shively, 1978. U.S. Naval Historical Center Photograph.
context_page_description: The American Palestine Line was a steamship company, formed in 1924 in the U.S., for the purpose of providing direct passenger service from New York to Palestine. It was reportedly the first steamship company owned and operated by Jews. The company negotiated to purchase three ocean liners from the United States Shipping Board, but it was only able to purchase one, SS President Arthur, a former North German Lloyd steamer that operated as Princess Alice before being seized by the United States during World War I. After refurbishing the liner, the company inaugurated service between New York and Palestine in March 1925, when President Arthur sailed on her maiden voyage. A crowd of 15,000 witnessed ceremonies that included songs, prayers, and speeches in English and Yiddish. The company claimed that President Arthur was the first ocean liner to fly the Zionist flag at sea and the first ocean liner ever to have female officers.
  The line had labor difficulties and financial difficulties throughout its existence.
context_section_description: The newly formed American Palestine Line, reportedly the first ever steamship company owned and operated by Jews, began working to institute direct passenger service from New York to Palestine. To that end, the company began negotiations with the United States Shipping Board (USSB) to purchase three former German ocean liners, sister ships President Fillmore and President Arthur and the smaller Mount Clay. On October 9, 1924, the American Palestine Line's president—Jacob S. Strahl, a New York Supreme Court justice—announced the purchase of President Arthur from the USSB, with plans to begin the Palestine service the following March. Strahl also publicly announced American Palestine's intent to acquire President Fillmore at the same time; plans 
  for that acquisition and that of Mount Clay, however, never materialized.
caption: SS President Arthur was the former SS Princess Alice of North German Lloyd, seen here while interned in the Philippines.
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