14 DECEMBER 1934, Page 2

Monopoly in the North Atlantic The replies of Ministers in

regard to the Government's ban on the Atlantic developments proposed by the Red S7-ar Line haire been meagre and diiturbing. The promoters of the scheme were convinced, as Major Bustard has pointed out, that there is room, and indeed great need, for a service of vessels of moderate size, equipped for moderate comfort and not excessive luxury, capable of carrying passengers across the Atlantic at a quarter, or less, of the price charged to first-class passengers on the monster liners. They had planned to operate an economical North Atlantic service with a view to tapping entirely new sources of traffic and facilitating that travel which is so desirable between Europe and North America. This enterprise, demanding no State subsidy, is now to be suppressed, it appears, because the Government has committed itself to a policy which it calls " rationalization," but which will certainly not deserve that title if it stops economic enterprise. This matter must be fully discussed in- Parliament. * *