Circumnavigators

The Shipping Board, sitting in Washington, is still vainly trying to solve the problem of the Government's merchant fleet--" the disposal of a liability at a profit." Shipowners and operators object vociferously to the plan of Government operation (TIME, June 18) announced by Albert D. Lasker before his retirement as Chairman of the Shipping Board. The Board in turn is willing to accept none of the owners' and operators' counter proposals. A fragment of the solution was achieved, however, by two sales to private owners.

On April 28 the Shipping Board offered its entire fleet for sale. The Shipping Board considered most of the bids made as unworthy of consideration. Others are still in negotiation. One of these bids was that of the Admiral-Oriental Line for ten 535-ft. steamers operating between the Pacific Coast and the Orient. This line is controlled by the Dollar interests. So when Stanley Dollar, son of Robert Dollar (TIME, May 28), went to Washington, it was assumed that he bore a further proposal in regard to these ships.

Instead, it was unexpectedly announced that the Dollar Line had purchased seven " 502's " and would start a regular around-the-world passenger service. The " 502's " are 502-ft. steamers, with a gross register of 10,533 tons, with a speed of about 14 knots, oil burners and all " President" ships. They are the Presidents Polk, Adams, Van Buren, Monroe, Garfield, Hayes, Harrison. The five first are now plying between New York and London, a money-losing route, and will be supplanted by freight vessels as soon as the Summer tourist season is past. The two last are plying between the Pacific Coast and the east coast of South America.

On their new route, the first regular service of its kind in existence, the seven circumnavigators will sail from San Francisco via Japan, China, the Philippines, Java, Straits Settlements, Singapore, India, Suez, Egypt, Mediterranean ports, New York, the Panama Canal to San Francisco again. They will fly the American flag, and the Dollar Line guarantees their operation for at least five years. The sale price will not be announced until the contracts are sealed and delivered.

At the same time that this sale was announced it was also made known that the Grace Line had bought the Orcus and Botarian, two cargo vessels on the route between the west coasts of North and South America.