OUR LONDON LETTER.
THE SCANDAL OF CABLE DELAYS
TO THE "EAST.
[FROM OF OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
Luxbos. May 19th.
THE CAVELL FUNERAL.
of Nurse Cavell was unique.
THE
answer would not be obtained till the middle of June, when the price might not be any longer a business proposition.
A HOPELESS POSITION,
It is satisfactory to know that the Manchester Chamber of Commerce is again taking the matter up with the
Board of Trade. The Chamber has been
It was lättari. (dated May 13th, the President
The public demonstration at the funeral quite different from anything London has wen hitherto the processions in memory of Lord Kitchener or the burial of King Edward to name only two examples in recent years. Probably the explanation is that this woman came to symbolise the British tradition of patriotism, loyalty, courage, tenacity, and devotion to duty even anto death.
"
Respectful crowds saw the passing of the poor remains of the little nastyred nurse at each stopping place on the long Journey from Brussels to Norwich, near where she was born. Her grave is in piece of greensward in the Cathedral Cloka Royalty was at the service in Westminster Abbey; and it was remark- able to notice the large number of Americans present among the vast con gregation.
repair, and asks whether the censorship of business cables cannot "now be relaxed. I understand that pressure is to be applied on the Government if there is not a speedy improvement in regard to this mast vital question of cable messages.. It is futile to appeal to the business community to speed up production, and "get busy" as the Amerieans say, with overeens trade while Government Depart ments are permitted to nonopolise the cables to the serious injury of the com- inercial interests of the country.
HONGKONG DAILY
PRESS, WEDNESDAY, JULY 2ND, 1919,
FUTURE OF THE U.S.
MERCHANT NAVY, I-SHIPS AT HALF COST PRICE
i!
(RY ARCHIBALD WORD] The competition of American merchant shipping is not a matter of the Indefinit future, but has begun. Indeed, it had started before even the armistice, was
out of
A
Twenty-Ave per cent, of the purchase- price of each ship should be paid down, the remainder falling due and payable in graded, annual instalments over
The period not exceeding ten years. Government should take and hold a mort
age for the unpaid balance, charging] interest, theresa at the customary com-
mercial rate of 5 per cent. Que-fifth of between the customary Government in
this interest, representing the difference :
terest of 4 per cent.. and the customary gomawercial rate, should be paid intò a Merchant Marine Development Fund to
described hereafter..
to
pegging away at it for months. In a points out that the removal of restrictions and considerable progress has Vessels under the on trade and the abrogation of Black site been made.
American Aag are now working on trade Lists of foreign. houses are advantages
routes, where American' ships have never that are neutralised by the really hope
operated before to the Dutch East Indies less position of the cable service bet and China, for instance. Lines are now run- The purchaser should be required to this country and the Far East" He sug
agree to insure and keep insured with an gests that an aerial service, might being to the East and West Coast of the
connect up cables out of American continent; the Pacific is being American Marine Insurance Company, his arranged to
Elled "; the West Coast of Africa is equity in the vessel, and because the being exploited; some notable ships are American marice insurance market has engaged in the Italian trade; and, of not at present sufficient resources course, American ships in increas-underwrite all the vessels the Government ATO passing in and has to sell, the Government should carry ing nambers
British and French ports in its own fund, as at present, but for We are confronted with nothing less than purchaser's account, bull and machinery an attempt to restore the American mer insurance covering that part of the vessel. exutile marine, which, before the Civil for which payment has not been made. War, was "this country's most serious Our experience in operation shows that competitor on the sea. The newly-buil: the Government can carry this insurance hips, adequately and well manned, are for at least i per cent. less than the open It has been said that the murder "ol
making their furrows in every sea, and market rate. However, it is proposed from the shipyard additional-tonnage that the opeh.market, rate be charged, and "Edith Cavell was the-eutstanding art ol inseste cruelty, next to the sinking of
At the time of writing, the Overseas, its character still to be proved is being that the difference be paid into the Mes the Lusitania, which was responsible for
Trade Department have not made upturned out from week to week, while plans chant Marine Development Fund. bringing America into the war. What a
their minds Whether the proposed Cotton are developing for utilising on the trade blunder it was on the part of the Ger
Mission to the Far East and the United routes the vessels now engaged in nával mans At 0 p.m., on the night fixed for the State will start or not As you know, and military work. execution of Miss Cavell, neutral diplo the idea is to send out a mission fully. mats hurried to the Theatre Royal, where representative of the Corton trade, in von Bissing and von der Laneben were
cluding employers and operatives' oz. enjoying themselves. To the representa-ganisations and distributors, to inquire into the export trade in cotton textiles
tions made to him at the eleventh beur
THE VITTON TOCH PROPOSAL.
?
The Marine Development Fund, fed from various sources, is intended to play an important part in the restoration of As has been explained in a former the United States mercantile marine. It article, the American shipbuilding effort, is to be used to relieve such financial though it included a good deal of wooden ciculties as may be encountered in the and concrete tonnage, brought on to the development of an adequate and well- scas an immense volume of steel co.. Hurley estimates that on the basis balanced American merchant marine.!!. the former said. The matter is entirely from the United Kingdom, and to recom-struction. When the armistics was sign in the hands of the military Governor."ment the sters which should be taken fored, the problem which had to be decided of one billion dollars' worth of ships the was how these ships should be used. The Merchant Marine Development. Fund Monsieur," said the Spanish Minister, its preservation and extension. The tour, suggestion of State-owned merchant would be $15,000,000. This amount, in- "You are committing what is worse than which would occupy about nine months, navy, in any shape or form, was dismisstigation convinces me, would be more ed. The arguments are of interest to us, as than sufficient to care for all deficiencies a crime; you are committing an errar !!
would be under Government auspices. we also have advocates of State ovar. likely to develop during this period." As an illustration of the uses to which this THE CHINA CONSORTIUM.
Replying to questions in the House of ship:
Mere mechanical efficiency of ship and fund will be put. Commons (May 18th) Sir A. D. Steel-shorn plant, added to sound finanem! It is foreseen that a number of trade
An announcement respecting Chinese loans, to which the widest publicity has
been given within the last few days, bano Maitiand, Parliamentary Secretary to backing. is not enough. The man who routes important to the immediate or
new
on reports from Paris, requires explans tion. The statement was that a Agreement had been made for carrying
રા.
the Board of Trade, said he hoped it would be possible, with the co-operation of the cotton industry, to arrange for
out the China Consortium already jane. the dispatch of the mission. It would business in the United States are shall have attracted an increased volume
const by the Governments of the United States, Great Britain,
Japan.
France and
enters the shipping business enters a battle against the wils of the world. flature welfare of American commerce must have a genius for shipping Fort must be established and developed. Some unately the men now engaged in the ship of these routes may not yield steamship operating proats nntil their existence of that character. But there are not
Revenue or better balance of trade. We need many more derived from the carriage of mail, and And it is clear that the number of such possible fees for the training of scamen not be possible, however, to give the mis-enough of them. ion authority to negotiate agreements can be greatly increased only under det offices, may parily compensate on the part of the Government He conditions of private initiative.The added, however, that it was quite possible shipping business is a business of infinites incurred on these routes.
Still, in casex where the Government detail and infinite technique; yet it calls negotiations. might come later.
for great courage and wide-ranging in-sells a ship upon condition that it or operated in a route which may not prove agination.
The formalities neccssarily surrounding Profitable at once, it will be necessary to Government operations are not suited to provide for the payment of defaulted
from the the successful conduct of & shipping ven interest
Merchant Marino Development Fund, in the discretion of ture. requiring quick decision. sudden re- versals of policy, and the assuming of the Shipping Board or other Government The successful ship Board of Government Directors, until recommendation of the agency, upor ping man in ar energency consulta no book of rales. He consulta only his such time as the route may begin to yield wits. So it is contended that only under proāt.
M When the ships in the route earn their private operation may we expect further incrcus in the number of small, annual interest rate and a profit, one-hal independent. skilful ship operators, the profit carned each year should be which we shall need more and more as the paid into the Merchant Marine Develop American merchant marine expands its ment Fund until all moneys drawn from activity upon the seas
The actual position appears to be that
It may be noted that the Manchester while certain banking groups in the United States, France, and Japan have Guard, the great organ of the cotton been formed and granted an exclusive industry, is somewhat critical of the pro privilege in each country for placing posal. What is the good of an inquiry lonus in China in future. the specific such as is proposed, it asks, and rather furtherance of the scheme for a Con hints that it will not be worth the ex- pense to the country. The paper adds: Bortian is held up by difficulties en- countered in London in forming a British" There is, perhaps, some justification for banking group-acceptable to our Foreign studying the Dutch East Indies, China, Office: This hitch is understood to be the and the Straits Settlements as markets, reason for a visit paid by Sir Charles but to suppose that there are great pos Addis rerpesenting the Hongkong and sibilities in those countries which have not been explored is to assume that Man. chester merchants are incficient, and the pale should have some evidence of that! before they are asked to believe it." THE CHINESE POST OFFICE.
great, hazards.
But the clinching argument is even'more applicable to our own case:
The establishment of a merchant marina under the American flag must take into account the difficulty of securing return enrgoes. If ships must be brought back In ballast the business cannot be profit able. In order that a round trip may be Inde without a considerable portion of
the fund on account of the vessel in ques tion shall bave been replaced. The other half should go annually to the steamship stockholders.
From all this it is apparent that Mr. Hurley and his advisers have prepared an elaborate scheme for working the ship- ping which was produced under the war emergency, and which is still being pro- duced. The plans provide for transfer-
Shungini Bank, to Paris last week.
In financial quarters in the City there is decided opposition to the composition of a banking group which shall enjoy the monopoly of an "exclusive privilege in
"The Chinese Post Office was the China; indeed, carly in April, the Foreign title of a lecture given before the China Office were informed that such an arrange Society at the School of Oriental Students ment was not feasible. The whole scheme by Mr. J. P: Donovan, the Chairman it being in ballast it may be necessary thing all Government-owned venzela toj for a Corsortium as approved by the being Mr. Byron Brenan, C.M.G.,, who rengare in a triangular or polygne voyage private ownership on terms very advan- was Consul-General, for several years at In order profitably to carry a cargo from tageous to the shipping community, while Governments of the four Powers depends Shanghai till his retirement in 1901. New-York to Australia it may be necessary keeping a certain measure of control over entirely upon that, and therefore for the fand previously held in positions at also to carry a cargo from Australia 10 Treights and other matters in the hands Tientsin. Mr. Japan; thence a cargo to the Cape Verde of the United States Shipping Board, ernment Cour Islands, with the short return trip in with its Development Fund, from which quity of 3,000 ballast to New York: Such operationsgrants can be made to lines opening ap word to say require a degree of special negotiation new and, for the time, unprofitable routes. gs," who did and freedom from central to which Gor Mr. Hurley and those associated with him disappear in rament operations are entirely unsuited hold that the United States is confronted can be laid down which a Government well as of world policy," and that "it jemployé could fellow, for the conditions
tin being it is uncertain whether it can
be proceeded with.
An integral part of the scheme was that
all options now, beld by the Allies (chiefy
Peking, Hankow Donovan conceded
ier Service In Chi
years; and he ha
for the private "le-
their work well bus
in Japanese, hands) should be pooled time before the competition of the They cannot be standardised. No rule with a new age of oceaa transportation |
among the members of the proposed Con sortium.
| CABLE DELAYS.
The scandalous delays in the cable service to the Near and Far East still continues. A slight improvement which was brought about recently following urgent representations to the Board of Trade and the Postmaster General has vanished, and matters are as bad as ever "they were.
National institution.
The fact was noted that the idea of a
A SHIPPING SUBSIDY."
SPORT.
TENNIS.
JOSEPH'S COLLEGE ». 39′′ CO.
R.G.A.
tripate in America's high destiny postal service on Western lines was pro-are constantly shifting, and in this trapage of promise for those who would business the competition of the whole
As to which, fected by Sir Robert Hart in 1861, but world must be met, facility with facility of the peaceful seas it was not until 30 years later that the and rate with rate.
-time will tell its own story I-Daily Tele- National Post Office was established. The
graph. lecturer expressed regret that the inten In these circumstances, it was decided tion to establish a National Post Office that the ships should be sold to and was not included in the Chefoo Conven- operated by American citizers under no tion of 1878, because it that had been restrictions other than the terms of the done there would have been no alien post bill of sale and the fixation of maximum offices in China to-day. In 1878 the Postfreight rien This decision having been master-General at Hongkong was anzious reached, it was then determined that the to withdraw the British postal agents.. vessels should be sold not for the sum In this connection Mr. Donovan said: they had cost to build, but at a price "The aggressive policy of Germany which fairly reflects the current world As an example, I hear of an instance
cannot be accounted for in any other way market for similar tonnago" That in the above match, in the Junior Tennis where a big business house cabled to one than that she was determined to make very remarkable measure, for the cost of League, played at Happy Valley on of their travellers in Hongkong to propreparations for the time when not only construction in the United States was.. ceed to Japan, but the cable took a fortaingtau but the whole of the Shantung on the average, about twice what was day, was won by the Collega by 31
province would be included among Ger in this country even under the conditions game. The Tsults were as follows: night to reach its destination, and the many's possessions. Ehe not only built af of war, when we were embarrassed in the Goldenborg and O. Ismail (8.J.C.) Hun had left for England before it commodious and imposing post office at matter of labour and material as the beat C.Q.M.B.Tallourd and Sergt. Davis, Shanghai in order to handle a compara. United States was not. Bo the difference boat CS.M. Pragnell and Corpl. arrived. In another cake, on April 18th, tively shali amount of mail matter: but between the cost of American tonnage and Baines, 7-4 beat Bdr. Amy and Lee, a quantity of steel plates were offered for opened post offices in other Treaty Porta the price received for it will be written Carp Kirby 10-1. shipment to the Far East in May. The where there were very few Germann, as down as a war chargé It will amounts Bepher and J. Silva (6.J.C.) beat af Ichang, where there was only one, and to several hundred million dollars IPC Lalfourd and Sergt. Davis, 6-8; firm on your side replied accepting the he was in charge of the German Post that way American. shipowners will stat
in competition without the handicap of CBM. Pragnell and Corpl. Baines, offer, but the message was not received. Office
In-a-discussion which followed, the high constraction charges, which ha3best Bdr. Amy and Lce.-Corp). until May 10th, with the result that busiChairman said one thing that impressed hitherto tended to retard the building up Kirby, 18-3 Hess was no longer possible owing to an him was that the proportion of register-of-an. American mercantile marine. The mail and Ismail (0) lost to advance in price which had taken place ed letters in China' was 10 per cent,
figure that seemed exceedingly high, and in the meantime. To cable hack making suggested the insecurity of the servise," for a higher prica would be useless, as an EL.B.
scheme of sale, as outlined by Mr. Edward CQMS Tallourd and Bergt. Davis, Harley, the chairman of the United F0; bai CSM Pragnell and Carpl States Shipping Board is so ingenious Baines, 74, beat Bdr. Amy and Lee- that it merits examination 1;
Corpi Kirby, 6-5.
PURITY CROS
SAVOURIES
CREAMED SPAGHETTI U GRATIN is spagh in a Golden cream sauce with cheese, garnished with a tou of pimentos änd mushrooms, per tin 85 cents.
GRACED SPAGHETTI is Graced with a finely seasoned tomato sauce, minced chicken Livers, sinoked ham and mushrooms, per tin, 35 cents,
!
CREAMED CHICKEN a la KING, is tender dic
chicken and fresh mushrooms in a delicious golden crean sauce garnished with pimentos, per tin, 70 cents.
WELSH RAREBIT is exquisitly seasoned cream cheese perfectly-aged-and-blended with the finest materials of which a rarebit can be made, per tin, 50 cents.
"LOBSTER
}
a la NEWBURG, in enamel-lined containers,
its savoury sauce and perfection reflects the care with which its ingredients are chosen; in two sizes, per tin 50 cert and $1.
LANE, CRAWFORD & CO
Pianos
for
Hire
$10 per Month
Robinson's
Fook Lee & Co.
METAL & HARDWARE MERCHANTS HOUSE & SHIP BUILDING MATERIALS.
Head Office:
Branch Ofice: 2a, 2 & 4, Huller St. York Building, Chater Rd
Telephone 1174,
Telephone 1950.-.
[101
Powell Le
TELEPHONE 346
Lrd:
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