The Bigger They Come ...

Tough as it was for G.I.s, postwar readjustment has been even tougher for wartime troop ships. Last week the U.S. Maritime Commission sadly reported that no one seemed to want the nation's No. 1 luxury liner, the S.S. America, very much. Finished too late (August 1940) to go into transatlantic service, she made only a few West Indies cruises before the Government converted her into a troop transport. As the West Point, she traveled some 500,000 miles with 350,000 servicemen.

Since February, the Maritime Commission has been refitting her for peacetime travel, at a cost of $7,000,000.

Despite a serious shortage of passenger vessels, not one prospective buyer has entered what the Commission considers a reasonable bid. Only the U.S. Lines, her former owner, has showed any interest. Barring any other bids, it will probably get her on charter.

The Commission's quandary revived the old debate over the value of luxury liners --and whether its plans to build nine such liners made any sense. It has already postponed bids to build four such ships because of the shortage of materials. And it still has on its hands the biggest white elephant of all--the Normandie. Even in her heyday she lost money. Last week the Commission asked for bids to cut her up for scrap, feared that no one would buy her. A West Coast oil company suggested that she be used for bulk storage of oil, but shippers thought the idea impractical.

This file is automatically generated by a robot program, so reader's discretion is required.