Washington, July 1.
Effective to-day, 151 ships flying ihe American flag will begin six months' experimental operation under a new Government subsidy which replaces expiring mail contracts, Mr. Joseph P. Kennedy, Maritime Commissioner, announced here to-day.
With a total of sixteen agreements, the Government will pay the shippers the difference in operating costs between American and foreign lines. Companies which nave entered into the agreement include the Oceanic Steamship Ca. operating between California, Honolulu, Australia and New Zealand. Thus far the Government has not reached agreements with the Munson Lines, the Dollar Line, the United Fruit Line, the Waterman Line or the American The pandas, among the rarest animals known, the first of which to be taken alive being the baby panda successfully taken to America by Mrs. William Harkness, are male and female, and were caught by trappers employed by Mr. Floyd T. (Ajax) Smith, the well known zoologist. The paw of one was slightly injured in the trap, but the animal iş how reported to be well.
At present kept in captivity in an upstairs room in, the residence of Mr. Albertson of West China Union University in Chengtu, they are to be removed shortly io a preserve in the Szechüen mountains. Here Mr. Smith, in whose possession they are, hopes to breed them in their natural surroundings.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.