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268 may drop, the general opinion is that in the very we fate hee will bE a steady rise in freights to the Orient with the probability of a $20 level being established within six months. As soon as peace is officially declared, the various governments withdraw restrictions and the markets of the world are adjusted, an unusually heavy commerce between Japan. China and North Pacific ports 1s anticipated. In eastern centers it has recently been reported that freight was being booked at $11 per ton to the Orient but no confirmation of this has been obtain- able on the Pacific coast. Some interest attaches to the Puget sound-Vladivostok route. After two Siberian _years of inactivity, cargo has begun Market to move again to Siberia. The ship- oe ping board has assigned several new Now Open _ steamers to this route and one private operator has dispatched a large car- rier from Seattle with railroad equip- ment for the Siberian gateway. Other shipments are expected to follow soon. It is reported here that the Russian commission has awarded a contract to a private carrier for transporting 60,000 tons of rail- road material from Seattle to Vladivostok at $21 per ton and although official announcement has not been made, it is believed that such business has been placed. Much of this freight has been in storage on the west coast for two years, its movement having been stopped .when the Kerensky government fell. The shipping board has also assigned new steel steamers to Chinese and Japanese routes, under oper- ation by private firms, but even without these car- riers, conditions in this trade would now warrant the shipping board rate of 12 and $14 respectively. There is a heavy movement of lum- ber and ties trom te north Pa- Lumber cific to Atlantic ports and Great Bi ore ment Britain. Numerous inquiries are, constantly being received. The Is Heavy shipping board is employing some of its new wooden steamers to freight ties from Puget sound to New York and Philadelphia. Additional charters have been made for vessels to carry lumber and _ ties to Great Britain, the going rate being about $45. There are calls for vessels to take lumber to Belgium and Holland while other inquiries are for lumber vessels to freight cargo to Italian ports. To Genoa $60 has been offered but inasmuch as $75 is being paid from gulf ports, owners on the Pacific coast believe that the offered rate is too low. Shipping board vessels continue to catty flour car- goes to the Atlantic. It 4s most uncertain whether Washington and Oregon will be able to ship grain to Europe this season or not, all depending on the attitude of the government. Vessels have already been fixed for barley from San Francisco to Scandi- navian ports and it is possible. the north Pacific may - regain some of its before-the-war prestige as a grain exporting center this season. : Lumber rates to the Hawaiian islands, South America and Australia remain weak. There is little demand for lumber to these usual markets of the north Pacific. The foreign buyer hesitates to place orders with the market falling. Therefore, he is holding off in the hope that both lumber and freights will reach a lower level. Inasmuch as all foreign markets contiguous to the north Pacific are almost bare of lumber, great activity in lumber may reason- THE MARINE REVIEW June, 1919 bly be expected as quickly as the foreign merchant is seeped at prices have touched the bottom. Naturally, American operators are awaiting with interest the adoption of a definite government policy with reference to the merchant marine and it may be assumed that the Japanese are equally interested. In the meantime, conditions cannot but be uncertain, However, as soon as general business begins to adjust itself, there is every reason to expect an active commerce in all Pacific routes. It is unofficially announced that the coast-to-coast steamship lines, which formerly operated out of Seattle but were withdrawn during the war, will re- turn to the route in the near future and the building of a large water trade between Atlantic and Pacific ports is to be expected. The shipping board has as- signed several small steel steamships to the Puget sound-Hawaiian route and this business, which had reached large proportions before the war, will soon be re-established. ' The adoption of through rail and water rates from points in the eastern part of the country to the Orient has helped to clear the atmosphere but the new sched- ule is not altogether satisfactory to those operating through that gateway. It is claimed that Seattle, with respect to some commodities, is still under a handicap in competition with the all-water route from New York to Japan. Efforts are being made to set aside these differences and success is believed to be a matter of but a short time. It may be stated that Pacific coast operators are not figuring on purchasing government wooden steam- ships. not because they are of wood but because of their design which is entirely unadapted. for Pacific trades. For Pacific trade, ocean wooden vessels are built usually with engines and houses aft to make _ them available for carrying large deckloads of lumber. Exports from Boston to Europe show no falling off although most of the consignments are for the various governments, the British reserving 70 per cent of space in vessels of that registry. Every ship for Liverpool, London and Glasgow is filled to ca- pacity with grain, provisions, steel and ilour. Leather has begun to be exported in con- siderable quantities after a long period where tanners could not have a foreign market. As much as 400 tons of leather has gone forward in one steamer since the ban was lifted. Tobacco is in demand abroad, consignments of 100 tons being common. Large quan- ties of flour are loaded in American and British ships, which call at Falmouth, England, for orders, the ultimate destination being Germany. France is calling for food and Boston is responding liberally. Other food ships are dispatched to Rotterdam' for ihe Netherlands government, and to Italy. iN sailing bark inaugurated the movement of build- ing: supplies for devastated France and other square- riggers will be chartered for similar voyages. Move- ment of wool from South Africa is heavy and the staple is being stowed in the army supply base which finds floor space congested. Apple exports have be- come negligible and the season's shipments totaled aa aoe barrels. Advantageous charters are ng made by vessels at Boston to proceed to Norfolk So ee@) coal for Rio and Buenos | Aires. M ater rates on coal have not declined materially since the armistice but there is scarcity of tonnage for that trade. Taken as a whole, the outlook is bright. Building Materials For France