Travel Notes

Exposition. The first international travel exposition ever held in the U. S. filled Chicago's Hotel Sherman exhibition rooms all last week. Practically every foreign country where U. S. tourists go set up displays of arts & crafts and lithographs of its scenic beauties.* U. S. railroads, the national parks, states with recreation sites, travel agencies countered the foreign lure. Steamship lines displayed the magnificences of their services.

Travel agencies justly emphasized the cultural values of voyage; might well have emphasized its benefits on mental health. Placid days, droning engines, cradling waves, roomy outlook--all these help to soothe troubled, taut spirits.

Malolo. The Malolo, newest of the Matson Line's 38 boats, reached Honolulu last week on its maiden trip. "Malolo" in Hawaiian means "flying fish" and the island natives believe that flying fish are unlucky. Yet without reserve they joined a great pageant to welcome the new ship's arrival. It is 585 feet long and contains more than 100 rooms with bath. The Matson Line operates only on the Pacific, chiefly between the U. S. west coast and the Hawaiian Islands. It also has three boats running between San Francisco and Sydney, Australia.

Laurentic. Another maiden trip completed last week was that of the White Star Line's Laurentic, from Liverpool to Manhattan. She is 604 feet long and was built less for speed than for cruising comfort. Except for two winter trips between Manhattan and Liverpool, she will be in regular service between Canadian ports and Liverpool in summer and in cruise service during the winter. Aboard when she docked at Manhattan was W. J. Willett Bruce, who directed her building. Explaining her length, short compared to that of the Leviathan, Majestic or Paris, he said that thousand-foot steamships are useful mainly for advertising purposes. He considers that the new-type vessels being built considerably shorter than this by German shipyards will set the new standards for transatlantic ocean liners.

White Star Plans. However, as Mr. Bruce said this, the White Star Line's London office announced plans for a new liner approximately 1,000 feet long, bigger than its Majestic and swifter than the Cunard Mauretania. As soon as one of the slips at Queen's Island, Belfast, is vacant, the new ship's keel will be laid.

Cunard Plans. The Cunard Line is also planning a thousand-foot ship for transatlantic service, to be built on the Clyde or the Tyne. Company officials held a secret meeting in London last week. Their general passenger manager in the U. S., Harold P. Borer, attended. Said he: "It should be possible to fill ships of any size which would be placed on the Atlantic."

Other Plans. The North German Lloyd Line is building two liners at Bremen, intended to be the fastest ships afloat. The French Line contemplates a ship larger than its 43,500-ton Ile de France; and the Italian Line is seriously thinking of two of nearly like size.

Hamburg-American Decision. The Hamburg-American Line last week decided to abandon Boston as a terminal for its Westphalia, Thuringia and Cleveland. Henceforth they will make New York their U. S. port.

"Duchess" Ship. The Canadian Pacific Railway line last week launched on the Clyde the Duchess of Atholl, first of four 18,000 "Duchess" passenger & freight steamers to operate between Montreal, Quebec and Liverpool. The Duchess of Atholl, a member of parliament and very busy, christened the ship.

Powdered Coal Burner. The Mercer, first ocean-going ship to use powdered coal for fuel, sailed last week on a test from New York to Rotterdam. The pulverized coal is blown through pipes as though it were fluid. Finely divided, it burns with practically complete combustion. The Mercer is a U. S. Shipping Board freighter.

Tourist Cabin Fares. The North Atlantic Passenger Conference decided last week to increase rates for third class tourist cabins, on ships traveling between the U. S. and Europe, by $5 one way and $7.50 the round trip. Beginning Dec. 1 the fare is $102.50 instead of $97.50 one way, and $182.50 instead of $175 both ways. The idea is to make a greater difference between tourist third class and ordinary third class rates. The effect is to reduce the difference between tourist and second class fares.

*Chicago advertising men as well as art students found the foreign poster technique well worth studying.