▁into ▁a ▁cru ise ▁ship . ▁Until ▁ 1 9 0 7 ▁the ▁Blue ▁Rib and ▁remained ▁in ▁the ▁hands ▁of ▁the ▁Germ ans . ▁ ▁Early ▁ 2 0 th ▁century ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 0 2 , ▁J . ▁P . ▁Morgan ▁emb rac ed ▁the ▁idea ▁of ▁a ▁mar itime ▁emp ire ▁compr ising ▁a ▁large ▁number ▁of ▁companies . ▁He ▁founded ▁the ▁International ▁Mer c ant ile ▁Marine ▁Co ., ▁a ▁trust ▁which ▁originally ▁compr ised ▁only ▁American ▁sh ipping ▁companies . ▁The ▁trust ▁then ▁absor bed ▁Ley land ▁Line ▁and ▁White ▁Star ▁Line . ▁The ▁British ▁government ▁then ▁decided ▁to ▁interven e ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁reg ain ▁the ▁asc end ancy . ▁ ▁Although ▁German ▁lin ers ▁domin ated ▁in ▁terms ▁of ▁speed , ▁British ▁lin ers ▁domin ated ▁in ▁terms ▁of ▁size . ▁R MS ▁Ocean ic ▁and ▁the ▁Big ▁Four ▁of ▁the ▁White ▁Star ▁Line ▁were ▁the ▁first ▁lin ers ▁to ▁sur pass ▁ ▁as ▁the ▁largest ▁passenger ▁ships . ▁Ult imately ▁their ▁owner ▁was ▁American ▁( as ▁mentioned ▁above , ▁White ▁Star ▁Line ▁had ▁been ▁absor bed ▁into ▁J . ▁P . ▁Morgan ' s ▁trust ). ▁Fac ed ▁with ▁this ▁major ▁competition , ▁the ▁British ▁government ▁contributed ▁finan cially ▁to ▁C un ard ▁Line ' s ▁construction ▁of ▁two ▁lin ers ▁of ▁un match ed ▁size ▁and ▁speed , ▁under ▁the ▁condition ▁that ▁they ▁be ▁available ▁for ▁conversion ▁into ▁armed ▁cru is ers ▁when ▁needed ▁by ▁the ▁n avy . ▁The ▁result ▁of