More Boats Ease European Junkets

Three C-4 type troop transports were released by the government to the United States Lines last week to provide cheap boat travel for students traveling to Europe this summer.

Although this announcement was encouraging to local globe-trotters, the three ships, the Marine Tiger, Marine Flasher and Marine Shark will not be able to carry even half of the 9000 students who hope to travel on them.

Thet only other ships scheduled to carry students at reduced rates are the Holland American Line's Tabinta and Vollendam, which are already booked solid.

There is still hope that congress will pass a resolution introduced last month by Senator Flathers, Republican from Vermont. This would provide for the release of at least three more transports for student travel. At present the resolution is awaiting a hearing before the Marine and Fisheries Committee of the Senate.

Six Boats Missing

Flathers introduced the resolution on the floor of the Senate on March ninth one week after a surprise presidential order transferred control of the nine transports to the Army from the Maritime Commission which had operated the ships for student travel last summer. The ships all capable of carrying up to 900 passengers, were the Ernic Pyle, the Marine Jumper, Marine Carp, Marine Marlin, Marine Robin, and Marine Perch, as well as the three boats named above.

Allotting of space on the three ships definitely scheduled to run is conducted by the Council of Student Travel in New York. The Council will provide passage to individuals and groups according to a priority system which is based on the relative educational value of the individual's and group's summer plans in Europe.