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316 idea of those advocating. the plan that they, through duplication of parts, can make it possible within two years to launch -vessels of from 1,000 to 5,000 tons cargo capacity in many sections of the country. Mr. Stratton has said that there are many wooden ship yards on the coast, bays and trib- utaries where the assembly of ships could be advantageously conducted, with far less difficulty and much more expedition than our ocean-going fleet of a half century ago was hewn out and assembled from material existent within our forests.” Naval constructors are understood to be at work on plans for battle cruisers provided for in the naval bill and merchant vessels provided for in the shipping bill, having in mind the adop- tion of a system of standardized ship building. The merchant ships being planned are said to call for a cargo capacity of 10,000 tons. These vessels could be built either in United States government yards or in private yards in this country or abroad. It is the opinion of supporters of the shipping bill that the $50,000,000 which it ap- propriates, would provide from 500,000 to 700,000 tons of merchant vessels. Lake Erie Ore Receipts Out of a total movement of 9,750,157 tons of iron ore shipped during July 7,681,084 tons were received at Lake Erie ports, distributed as follows: Port Gross tons. SULA OS ee ee occa e avetatat rete acelanete 1,174,378 i Ura has ihe etait SNe eer HS enc ac ne ge 194,616 COMBE ATES Soo Sain cael) lala is chae 1,437,320 WSING AIDA | hrf ee ictlo ewes tab lece 1,696,622 a irpOrte. Ceti fs ack ieceye: sees avs ae 401,097 levCland seit whe aiacees:isie s 1,657,510 WGOPAIN oe siecle ciserbenie ie stole vce Secs 610,967 JED Et erot (ones yee Anata ot Rea mR comm 167,940 PROLEMO SS” sete oe Ser iainn sities oe a 309,509 WDGCETOUE A ee oclne e e age aces 31,125 POCA: ociasharee sian ere ee iatoans 7,681,084 Prominent Lake Shipper Dies John P. Reiss, well known lake shipper of Sheboygan, Wis., died suddenly of heart failure at his desk atthe C. Reiss: Coal Ca., on July. 21. He was born in Sheboygan and was 41 years old at the time of his death. His entire life was spent in Sheboy- gan, where he was associated with the C.*Reiss Coal Co. for the last 23 years, holding the office of vice presi- dent and treasurer for the past 10 years. His maritime connections in- cluded a similar office in the Reiss Steamship Co. and a directorship in the North American Transportation Co., Cleveland. Mr. Reiss is sur- vived by three children. THE MARINE REVIEW Fleet for HE Pacific Mail Steamship Co., | formerly operated by the South- ern Pacific railroad, has been re- turned to the Pacific trade by its new joint owners, the American International Corporation and W. R. Grace & Co., New York. The line recently purchased September, 1916 their new route will be Honolulu, Yoko- hama, Kobe, Shanghai, Manila and Hongkong. The Pacific Mail Steamship Co. is the oldest ocean steamship company in this country and,at onetime, was the largest steamship company in the world. The PACIFIC MAIL OIL-BURNER ECUADOR OFF ATLANTIC TERMINAL, BROOKLYN, JULY 17, ON HER WAY TO SAN FRANCISCO from the Dutch West Indies Steamship Co. the steamers Ecuapor, VENEZUELA and’ CoLumMBIA, with the intention of converting them into oil burners and operating them out of San Francisco. The work of converting the Ecuapor was completed at the plant of the Robins Dry Dock & Repair Co., Brooklyn, early in July. Ecuapor was thrown open for inspection at the Atlantic Terminal, Brooklyn, July 17, left for San Fran- cisco July 19 and will sail from that port on. Aug. 19 on. her first trans- pacific trip. The VENEZUELA, which now is being converted at the Robins yards, is scheduled to sail from = San Francisco Sept 16 and Cotumsta, which is being converted in Amsterdam, Hol- land, is scheduled to sail from San Francisco Oct. 7. ; These vessels, which are sister ships, were bui!t in Holland in 1915 and made but one voyage each before they were acquired by the Pacific Mail Steamship Co. Each has 10,000-tons displacement, registered gross tonnage of 5,688 tons, and is 396 feet long, 48 feet. 6 inches wide, and 35% feet deep. The vessels are of steel construction and have speed of 14 knots an hour. Each is licensed to accommodate 111 cabin and 78 steer- age passengers. The ports of call on company was organized in 1847 and im- mediately built a number of vessels in New York which were put into the Pa- cific trade in 1848. The company main- tained a Pacific fleet until late in 1915, when, due to the restrictions of the La Follette seamen’s act, it disposed of its steamers MancuuriA, MoncortsA, Korea, SIBERIA and CHINA to the Atlantic Transport Co. for the sum of $5,250,000. Early in 1916, following the change in ownership of the majority of the capital stock, the policy of the company was changed and it was decided not only to retain the seven remaining steamships, Aztec, Ciry or Para, New- PORT, PERU, SAN Jose, SAN JUAN and PENNSYLVANIA, but to re-enter the Pa- cific trade. Ecuapor, VENEZUELA and CoLUMBIA accordingly were acquired at an approximate cost of $1,100,000, each. The decision to revive the trans- pacific trade of the company largely is in the nature of an experiment. | If successful, a fleet of large new ships will be put on the Pacific. Under pres- ent conditions in ocean commerce, the officers are strongly inclined to expect success, as evidenced by their willing- ness to make the venture. The three ships now being put into the Pacific trade, it is probable, ultimately will go into the Central American trade.