GERMAN SHIPBUILDING: PROGRESS ON THE

WESER.

Within a comparatively short time great things have been accomplished in Germany in advancing her marine interests. With a spirit of enthusiasm and with extraordinary activity the builders and managers of German steamship lines set out to build up a fleet of merchantmen capable of competing with that of any other nation. How well they have succeeded, the world knows. Wonderful, indeed, has been the advance made in the size, in the number, and in the speed and comfort of German ships that now carry passenger and freight traffic to the most distant ports on the globe.

This progress has been effected largely within the last three decades. About the time that the Germans entered this field of building all those engaged in 'ship construction began to use steel and iron instead of wood, and they were thus able to profit by the experience of others. Their unprecedented success has culminated in the twin-screw steamer Kaiser Wilhelm II, which was recently built and launched at Stettin, and will start on its maiden trip from Bremen to New York on April 14, 1903. Not less than 11,000 tons of steel and iron and other shipbuilding material were welded and riveted and hammered together at the Vulcan yards to form this latest ocean leviathan.

The first Atlantic steamship which adopted a screw propeller in addition to the side-wheels was the world-renowned Great Eastern, built in the years 1852-1857. The gradual elimination of sidewheels and the general adoption of screw propellers for ocean steamers dates from that time. The improvement in the propelling machinery was equally marked, the simple-cylinder system being supplanted first by the double, then by the triple, and finally by the quadruple expansion system, which uses the steam a corresponding number of times, thus causing a considerable saving in coal. Finally, steel completely superseded iron and wood in the construction of large steamers. All these improvements aided the industry in Germany, but it was not until the year 1897 that a German steamer was run off from the stocks that was destined to break Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse. In In 1901 the Kronprinz started

records for speed. This was the

1900 the Deutschland was launched.

on her phenomenal career, and will be joined in a few months by the Kaiser Wilhelm II. All these were built at the Vulcan yards at Stettin by German brains and German hands.

How these

compare with other ocean greyhounds will be seen from the following table:

Thirty years ago there were only seven shipyards in this country; to-day there are about 60, large and small. Five are located in this section, on the banks of the River Weser between Bremen and Bremerhaven. While they are not equal to building the very largest types of merchantmen and war vessels, they are fully equipped for turning out ordinary ocean-going vessels of every description. These five concerns have been crowded with orders during the past few years, and while many of the other industries in this country are languishing, the Weser shipyards are all doing a prosperous business, dividends ranging between 10 and 12 per cent having been declared at their last annual meetings.

The Weser Aktiengesellschaft, the only concern located within the city limits of Bremen, owing to its steadily increasing business, is now building new yards, covering about 6 acres of land, a short distance down the River Weser, where it proposes to move its entire plant in the spring, to attain the much-needed room. At the general meeting of stockholders on October 30, 1902 (when 12 per cent dividends were declared), it was decided to increase the paid-up capital by 1,250,000 marks ($297,500), making a total capitalization of 3,750,000 marks ($892,500). The Weser Aktiengesellschaft owns two floating dry docks, in which 96 ships were overhauled and repaired during the past year. During the same period, there were turned out by this company one German cruiser, one freight steamer, and several other craft of various description, such as dredges, barges, etc. There are at present under construction three cruisers for the German fleet, one steamer, and one fire ship, aside from several smaller vessels, and orders have been booked for one steamer for the North German Lloyd, one large dredger for Hamburg, one freight steamer for the Neptune Steamship Company, and several other craft of less magnitude. The contracts already received promise to keep the men fully employed for more than a year to come.

On the right bank of the River Weser, near Vegesack, are the extensive yards of the Vulcan Shipbuilding Company. This plant, like the foregoing, is entirely modern, with large capital and equipment. While it is not in a position to build and equip fast Atlantic ships of the largest type, as does its namesake at Stettin-as the river channel at the frontage of the shipyards is not deep enough for vessels of this draft-a number of good-sized steel vessels for ocean service were quite recently constructed by the Weser Vulcan, as may be seen from the following list:

During the first six months of this year six ships were launched at these yards, and the firm has 17 other vessels under construction, valued at about 16,000,000 marks ($3,808,000).

At the end of its business year (May 6, 1902) the Tecklenborg Company, at Bremerhaven, capitalized at 2,000,000 marks ($476,000), paid a dividend of 20 per cent. This concern was occupied to its utmost capacity during the entire year, and the repair and dry docks were continually in use. Six double-screw freight and passenger steamers and two very large sailing vessels were building, of which three steamers and one sailing vessel were delivered to the owners. This firm is famous all the world over for building sailing craft, and. the vessel completed a few weeks ago is probably the largest in the world. Her name is Preussen. She is a five-masted, full-rigged steel vessel; steel sparred throughout. Her length is 440 feet; beam, 50 feet. She has a carrying capacity of 8,000 tons, while her registered tonnage is 4,000. Recently, she started on her first voyage to the west coast of South America. At the close of its business year this company had four vessels under construction, and orders were booked for one lighter, one fishing steamer for the high seas, and one sailing vessel. The building of these seven ships and also of a bridge will keep the plant busy for some months to come.

The Rickmers Rhederei and Schiffbau Company, at Bremerhaven, has three small steamers under construction. The entire stock of this company is held by members of the Rickmers family, hence no annual reports or statistics are made public.

The G. Seebeck Company, at Bremerhaven, closed its seventh business year on June 30, 1902, when a dividend of 10 per cent was declared. These works have also been very busy, especially in constructing steamers for fishing on the high seas. Three of these were completed during the year, while 11, representing a value of some 3,500,000 marks ($833,000), are still under construction. During the same period, they built two passenger and freight steamers for East Asiatic coast service, one steamer for the Australian line, and one tugboat, all for the North German Lloyd Steamship Company. In the last seven years, this company has built 192 ships, of which 23 steamers were for the North German Lloyd. The paid-up capital of the Seebeck Company has been increased by 1,000,000 marks ($238,000), making a total capitalization of 2,200,000 marks ($523,600).

Germany is geographically not strictly a maritime nation-that is to say, she is not located "by the sea," as the waters to the north are practically an inland sea. No other country is so dependent on others for the raw materials that enter largely into the making of a ship. Even her native iron must be mixed with Swedish ores to make it fit for modern purposes. Yet, in the face of all these difficulties, German enterprise has entered the field of naval architecture and has brought about the marvelous growth and phenomenal success in shipbuilding which is enabling Germany to step in one long stride from naval weakness to naval power.

HENRY W. Diederich,

BREMEN, December 16, 1902.

Consul.

BRUSSELS CONFERENCE AND FRENCH SUGAR. The people of France are happy in the anticipation of a reduction in the enormous prices they have for years been paying for sugar. Their hopes are based on the recent action of the Lower House of the French Parliament, in reducing the internal-revenue tax on that article to 25 francs ($4.82) per 100 kilograms (220 pounds). Up to the present time, the tax has been 60 francs ($11.58) per 100 kilograms, and the retail price of sugar in the groceries 1 cents per pound.

In the debate in the Lower House of Parliament, the opinion was expressed that the consumption would so increase as to compensate for the loss of excise revenue, which aggregated 50,000,000 francs ($9,650,000) per year; but this loss of revenue is more than compensated by the abolition of sugar bounties, which in 1901 amounted to nearly $20,000,000. The Lower House also adopted a bill ratifying the action of the Brussels Sugar Congress.

The cessation of the bounty does not take effect until September, 1903, and it is impossible to estimate at present the reduction that is certain to take place in the growing of beets; but farmers are thinking what they will do with the land that will be released. The growing of beets has been generally confined to the northern departments of France, and before these became the favorite crop, oil seeds were cultivated with profit; also rape seed and poppy. These are imported into France in large quantities, and their consumption has more than doubled within a few years. The Journal d'Agriculture states that while petroleum has taken the place of the oils produced from these seeds as illuminants, they are very popular as lubricants.

An authority in Lyons expresses the opinion that wheat will be grown on much of the acreage heretofore sown in beets, and that its price will be enhanced. The fruit-canning factories in the Midi, which have been almost idle for some years, will find a new career of activity, and an increased export of French preserved fruits may follow. The habit so general in the United States of preserving a large provision of fruit every fall does not prevail in France. people eat their fruit raw.

The

It is proposed to increase the allowance of sugar in the army. The testimony of professional pedestrians is conclusive that the use of sugar enables one to support fatigue with much greater ease than that of other foods. A gentleman well known for his scientific attainments says that the mixture of molasses or the residue of sugar with fodder would be productive of excellent results for working oxen and for milch cows. He also asserts: "It is established that sugar can replace a quantity of oats fed to a horse without diminishing his muscular energy."

Mr. Grandeau, in a recent paper on this subject, quoted the following paragraph from the pen of a scientist who was traveling in the Transvaal at the time of the war:

As a result of circumstances too long to relate, I found myself blockaded between the English and the Boer forces, unable to move without receiving a gunshot from one side or the other. I was forced during six weeks to depend upon sugar, mixed with a little sawdust, for nourishment for myself and six rabbits, which I was absolutely desirous of keeping for breeding purposes. It was impossible for me to find straw for my rabbits. They and your humble servant were none the worse for this diet; we prospered under it and the rabbits grew fat.

I extract a few sentences from a paper written by M. Emile Saillard, director of the laboratory of the United Sugar Manufacturers of France:

Since the subject of molasses and fodder has been agitated, the farmers and sugar manufacturers have turned their attention to peat (tourbe).

We know from the experiments of Professor Kellner that peat has a depressing