▁opening ▁of ▁the ▁S uez ▁Canal ▁made ▁the ▁Mediter rane an ▁a ▁possible ▁route ▁to ▁Asia . ▁ ▁Indian ▁Ocean ▁and ▁the ▁Far ▁East ▁Col on ization ▁made ▁Asia ▁particularly ▁attract ive ▁to ▁sh ipping ▁companies . ▁Many ▁government ▁officials ▁must ▁travel ▁there ▁from ▁time ▁to ▁time . ▁As ▁early ▁as ▁the ▁ 1 8 4 0 s , ▁the ▁P & O ▁organized ▁tri ps ▁to ▁Cal cut ta ▁via ▁the ▁S uez ▁Ist hm us , ▁as ▁the ▁canal ▁had ▁not ▁yet ▁been ▁built . ▁The ▁time ▁it ▁took ▁to ▁travel ▁on ▁this ▁route ▁to ▁India , ▁S out heast ▁Asia , ▁and ▁Japan ▁was ▁long , ▁with ▁many ▁stop o vers . ▁The ▁Mess ager ies ▁Mar it imes ▁operated ▁on ▁this ▁route , ▁not ably ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 3 0 s , ▁with ▁its ▁motor ▁ships . ▁Similarly , ▁the ▁La ▁Marse illa ise , ▁put ▁into ▁service ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 9 , ▁was ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁flags hips ▁of ▁its ▁fleet . ▁Dec ol on ization ▁caused ▁the ▁loss ▁in ▁the ▁profit ability ▁of ▁these ▁ships . ▁ ▁Other ▁ ▁National ▁symbol ▁The ▁construction ▁of ▁some ▁ocean ▁lin ers ▁was ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁national ism . ▁The ▁rev ival ▁of ▁power ▁of ▁the ▁German ▁n avy ▁stem med ▁from ▁the ▁clear ▁aff irm ation ▁of ▁Kaiser ▁Wilhelm ▁II ▁of ▁Germany ▁to ▁see ▁his ▁country ▁become ▁a ▁sea ▁power . ▁Thus , ▁the ▁SS ▁Deutschland ▁of ▁ 1 9 0 0 ▁had ▁the ▁honor ▁to