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Experts in this Country and Abroad ment between the shipping board and the U. S. Mail line andthe chartering of the ex-enemy passenger vessels is now expected to proceed rapidly. The GEorGE WASHINGTON and the AMERICA are now being re- paired and both are scheduled for the transatlantic trade this summer. These will be the largest vessels of the United States Mail fleet. The Grorcze WaAsuH- INGTON will be the last word in steamer comfort. Furthermore, the shipping board will allocate the new passenger vessels Bruz Hen State and the CeEn- TENNIAL STATE to the United States Mail line for the London run, substituting these steamers for the PANHANDLE STATE and Otp NortH State which, it is said, will be assigned the Ward line for the Spanish run. Difficulties in the South American run, managed by the Munson Steamship lines, have continued. The MartHa WASHINGTON is still tied up because' of the dispute with port workers at Buenos Aires. The Huron proceeded no further south than Montevideo. The CaLiao is being utilized during the dispute at Buenos Aires. It is said negotiations are on between a British com- pany and the Mexican government to establish a line of small steamers between San Francisco and the Pacific ports of Mexico. The Canadian Government Merchant Marine, Ltd., is planning a Pacific service. The J. H.W. Steele Co. will load for the United Kingdom, exclusive- Shipping ly, from Galveston, New Orleans . and Texas City. he lykes lines Assignments Will load for Rotterdam, Hamburg, Are Made © Bremen and Scandinavia, exclusively, from Galveston, Texas City and New Orleans. The Mississippi Shipping Co. will load for French Atlantic and Antwerp, ex- clusively, from New Orleans. The Tampa-Interocean Steamship Co. will load for Spanish Atlantic and Spanish Mediterranean, exclusively, at New Orleans. Trosdal, Plant & La Fonta will load for the Mediter- ranean, Adriatic, Greece, Turkey and Black sea, ex- clusively, from New. Orleans and all other Discuss New Charter (| ROWING agitation for han- dling government vessels on a bareboat charter has brought out divergent opinions regarding gulf ports. This firm has been as- signed services from Savannah to French At: the merit of this plan. The Amer- lantic _ ports, ican Steamship Owners associa- Antwerp, Rot- tion has indorsed this basis for terdam, all handling steel freight ships but has not acted on a form of char- United Kingdom ports and Medi- ter drawn up by its special aes terranean and mittee of which J.' Re Gorden Adriatic ports, of the Union Sulphur Co. was and also from chairman. This plan called for the shipping board refraining from competition with bareboat charterers. The board of gover- nors of the U. S. Ship Operators association through President Charles H. Potter announces its Opposition to the bareboat plan. Charleston and Jacksonville to 'Adriatic and Mediterranean ports, with the exception of the Spanish Medi- terranean only. RATES STEADIER Business with Orient Improves Under Firm Freights -- Japanese Buy Grain--European Tariffs Up. The American Transatlantic Line, Inc., which has acquired the PHILIPPINES from the shipping board, is planning to use the steamer on a passenger service from New York to Libau and other Baltic ports. The United American lines will maintain its inter- coastal services on a 10-day schedule hereafter, every other steamer going to Hawaii. The United Steam- ship Co., it is said, now that its shipping board ton- nage has been withdrawn, will continue with chartered vessels its services to Cuba, Hayti, Santo Domingo and Porto Rico. It was said sailings would be -made every two weeks from Galveston and Houston. The North Atlantic & Western Steamship Co. will make New York a regular port of call in its -inter- coastal service. The Pacific Mail Steamship Co. has made atrangements with the Halschaw Steamship Lines, Inc., and the Old Dominion Steamship Co., to issue through bills of lading on goods transferred from the coastal services to overseas destinations. The Royal Mail Steam Packet Co. starts in trans- atlantic passenger services this month with the OrsrTa. Later the OrpUNA and the Oropesa will be employed. Bolstering up its American connections, the R. M. S. P. in conjunction with the Holland-American line, is planning freight services from Vancouver, Seattle, via Panama to United Kingdom points. Furness, Withy & Co. plan a new passenger service from New York to Quebec, beginning this summer. with the WANDILLA, recently purchased from the Adelaide Steamship Co. of Australia. The Lloyd Royal Belge has moved into its own home in New York and expresses confidence in the outlook for business. The French line is beginning to advertise its new ship, the Paris, extensively for the June trade. . Further readjustments of ocean freights from North Pacific ports Adjustment have brought rates to a basis of sta- bility which has given shippers more of Rates confidence. Generally Spee Bo ' changes have been downward. In i hee and flour rates to the United Kingdom and Europe, however, there was a slight advance due to considerable de- mand for this class of tonnage, but this upturn was not long maintained. Business is slightly better be- tween this side and the Orient, although eastbound vessels are handling little cargo and Far Eastern yorts are doing less than normal. Lumber has been booked to Japan and China, stimulated by a low rate of $10 per thousand feet. A month ago an effort was made to raise this to $15 but it failed. Considerable interest attaches to the purchase of about 20,000 tons of wheat by Japanese for ship- ment to Nipponese ports. This is the first time in 283