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and offered a service between California and Alaska. Competition was severe, there were many disappoint- ments, at times it looked hopeless but the aspiring young shipowner refused to let go. By 1912 he purchased three additional vessels, bringing them from the Atlantic, the various companies being now merged into the Pacific- Alaska Navigation Co. By 1916, this company owned and operated seven vessels while the outstanding cornpetitor, the Pacific Coast Steamship Co., had a total of thirteen. The president of the smaller fleet brought negotiations to a successful conclusion which resulted in the retirement of the Pacific Coast Steamship Co. and both fleets came to the Alexanderian flag on Nov. 1, 1916, under the name of the Pacific Steamship Co. Since then this com- pany has been the outstanding operator between Alaska and Bering sea ports. Early in the war period, Mr. Alexander visioned the possibilities of developing trade with the Orient under the American flag. He established a service, with his own vessels, to Japan, China, Manila and Singapore and in so doing established an organization in the Far East. Thus his company was in line to receive allocations of shipping board tonnage as soon as the government de- cided to enter the transpacific trade routes. In 1921, the . Alexander organization received further recognition oZ government confidence when five of the shipping board’s new passenger and freight liners were assigned for serv- ice between Puget sound and the Orient. This resulted in the organization of the Admiral Oriental line of Se- attle, sold to the Robert Dollar interests last year and now known as the American Mail line. Mr. Alexander’s ambition to give the Pacific coast traveling public water transportation equal to any of- fered on the Atlantic was realized when he acquired the speed queen of the Pacific, now named the H. F. ALEXANDER. He originally purchased from the shipping board the steamer NORTHERN PACIFIC, which made a record as an army transport during the war. This ves- sel burned at sea early in 1922 when en route from New York to Chester, Pa., to be reconditioned. This disaster was a staggering blow, especially as all plans had been made for establishing this super. service for passengers during the tourist season of 1922. Bat with characteristic energy, Mr. Alexander began at once to formulate new plans. He offered to purchast the COLUMBIA, sister ship of the NORTHERN PACIFIC. The COLUMBIA had been the GREAT NORTHERN and had during the war made a world record in troop carrying. But the United States navy had taken the vessel over as flag ship of the Atlantic battle fleet, renaming her COLUMBIA. She fitted in so admirably that the navy ob- jected to the proposed sale. Tangled red tape had to be unwound. There were innumerable obstacles to over- come but in the end after a hard struggle, Mr. Alex- ander won his point and he became the owner of this exceptionally fast vessel. Reconditioning, costing more than $500,000, was done at an Eastern yard at record breaking speed and the new vessel renamed the H. F. ALEXANDER arrived on the Pacific in June 1922 in time for the tourist travel of that season. Since then this ocean flyer has catered to an in- creasing number of travelers, proving Mr. Alexander’s contention that the public appreciates service. This ves- sel during the season makes a round trip between Se- attle and Los Angeles between 5 p.m. Tuesday and 9 a.m. the following Monday morning. Previous schea- ules gave the ordinary coasting vessel two weeks. Travel by water between Seattle and San Francisco was re- duced from the former 65 hours to 38% hours, the regular running time of the H. F. ALEXANDER. The maritime activities of Mr. Alexander are numer- ous. He has served twenty years as president of the Pacific Steamship Co. and its predecessors. This fleet consists of 19 deep sea steamers, a tug and two barges. He is also president of the Pacific Motorship Co., op- erating several large freighters in the coasting service he is president of the Pacific Steamship Terminal Co which built a $1,000,000 terminal in Seattle in 1925. He is interested in the Admiral Oriental line and he was one of the group who helped establish the Olympic Calpet oil refinery in Seattle. Other activities include membership on the executiv committe of the American Steamship Owners association, the American committee of Lloyd’s Register and a director of the Merchant Ma- rine Library association. For years he has bcen a leader in the national foreign trade council while the Seattle chamber of commerce and all other activities for the upbuilding of commerce and transportation have always received his hearty support. While the Pacific Steamship Company originally did not serve the Columbia river, in recent years this dis- trict has become an important factor. The Alexander organization has increased its service to Portland as conditions warranted. The most recent development is the purchase on the Atlantic of the fast passenger steamers MARY WEEMS and ESTHER WEEMS. In all his career, Mr. Alexander has followed the policy of of- fering service in the full knowledge that it brings business. From his army of employes, Mr. Alexander expects loyalty. He demands that they use courtesy and serv- ice as their guides in dealing with the public. Conse- quently he has an exceptionally fine organization, and he shows personal interest in those who work, not un- der him, but with him. He has a number of hobbies among which are the S. S. H. F. ALEXANDER, his grandchild and yachting. The H. F. ALEXANDER is the apple of his eye as in giving the Pacific coast this super-service he reached the zenith of his dreams. His grandchild is part of his life, and when he finds time to relax, he cruises with his friends in his palatial sea going yacht. Such in brief is the story of twenty years of endeavor by the longshorman who achieved the distinction of be- coming one of the outstanding figures in the annals of the American merchant marine. —aNasS=SeeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeeaeaeaeaeaeaeaeaEeaeaeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEeEe———eeeeeeEETET—————EE™EETTTTSSSSS Lakes Captain Dies Capt. Hugh McAlpine, well known master of Lake ships, died Oct. 22 12 years of age. for 55 years beginning when he was Europe, following Joseph E. Sheedy. Captain Grening has been identified with the Merchant Fleet Corp. since at his home in Lakewood, O. after an illness of about a year. Captain McAlpine was the commodore of the Cleveland and Buffalo Navigation Co.’s fleet and was master of the large lake steamer SEEANDBEE. He had been a sailor on the Great Lakes 48 New European Director The shipping board on Noy. 15 ap- pointed Capt. Paul C. Grening, direc- tor for Europe for the Merchant Fleet Corp. Captain Grening is at present in London where since May of this year he has been acting director for MARINE REVIEW-—December, 1927 March, 1922, when he was made a_ port captain at London. In August of that year he was given command of the PRESIDENT HARDING, and it ‘was during his service on that ship that the vessel performed the rescue of the crew of the INAzIO FLORIO.