Page 631
Kong (947). Labuan has a harbour, and might be made a coaling-station (939). A coaling and refitting station is much needed on one of the most southern of the Maldive Islands. Addoo Atol is admirably adapted for the purpose. It belongs to Great Britain, has au excellent harbour, and would be of great service to our cruizers and also to trade which takes a course south of the Equator during the south-west monsoon (941-945, 948, 949). The Suez Canal could easily be closed, and would silt up of itself if left for any length of time 1000-1003) If closed, our whole Eastern trade would have to go round the Cape. On that line Cape Town is the most important station (933), and Mauritius the next (934, 935). Slow steamers have to coal on the way to the Cape, and use St. Vincent, but another station is required between St. Vincent and the Cape (985). A port of refuge is much needed on the West Coast of Africa, St. Helena is too far to leeward (986-988, 990).
February 19, 1880. G. A. Laws, Esq., representing the North of England Steam-ship Owners' Association (1004).
Tonnage and Speed of Steamers.-The members of the Association own about 300 steamers (1012), of which the maximum tonnage is 3,000, and the average 2,000 tons. The fastest, of which there are about fifty, have a speed of 10 knots; the average speed is below 8 knots, and the minimum from 6 to 7 knots (1008-1011). The ships are mostly built of iron, few of steel, none wooden or composite. Almost all have compound engines (1052-1055). They have an average of five watertight compartments, but no fore and aft bulkheads (1141, 1142). Most of the ships could be adapted to carry guns (1140). First- class steamers undergo Admiralty inspection (1050). The crews are not exclusively British, any seamen are taken (1125, 1183, 1184). Many of the officers and men belong to the Naval Reserve. Drill does not interfere with their other duties (1185-1190).
Lines of Trade. The ships trade to the Baltic, America, Canada, India, and the rice ports, chiefly through the Suez Canal (1006, 1007, 1097-1099); few go to China.
Coal Endurance.-Steamers going to the Baltic and Mediterranean usually take coal for the voyage out and home (1014, 1018, 1020). Improvements in machinery have reduced the consumption of coal. Average steamers generally carry from 500 to 1,000 tons, which takes them to Calcutta or the rice ports, and back as far as Galle, where they coal for the home voyage (1025, 1026). If the Suez Canal were closed, steamers would probably make the outward voyage to India without conling, and on the homeward voyage coal at the Cape or one of the islands beyond (1103-1105). A steamer of the slower class can easily take 1,000 tons of cargo on a consumption of from 3 to 10 tons of coal a-day (1143).
Coal. Welsh coal is the best; north country and Nova Scotia coal are very good, and nearly equal in quality; New South Wales coal is almost as good (1129, 1162). Labuan and Indian coal are good for ordinary steaming, but do not last like British coal (1158-1163). The same speed can be obtained with foreign coal, but with increased consumption (1164, 1165). Distant stations are supplied with British coal in the proportion of about two-thirds Welsh to one- third north country; many are also supplied with foreign coal (1128). The Association steamers take cargoes of coal on the outward voyages (1130).
Coaling-stations.-In the Baltic, Copenhagen is almost the only coaling-station in use; Malta is the most important in the Mediterranean (1018). For the Indian trade viâ the Suez Canal the important coaling stations are Port Saïd, Aden, and Galle. To these may be added Singapore for the China trade (1021- 1023, 1095, 1096, 1102). If the Canal were closed, safe coaling-places would be required on the homeward voyage, at the Cape, or somewhere between the Cape
[1103]
601
and England (1103-1106). For this purpose St. Vin- ceut is valuable (1109, 1111); St. Helena and Ascen- sion are inconvenient (1110). At some seasons of the year Mauritius might be better even than the Cape (1144). As a coaling and refitting station it has a reputation for high charges, and is not much used now (1146–1148, 1171-1173). Halifax would be of great importance to the North Atlantic trade (1088). Heli- goland would become a useful port of refuge for the North Sea trade (1166-1169).
Refitting and Insurance. There are good means of refitting on almost all routes (1047). The percentage of accidents is small, and trade would hardly be affected if there were no docks (1048, 1145). The Association insures its own ships. In the Tyne the annual rate is 9 per cent. (1056–1059).
Effects of War upon Trade.-War would affect trade through the rate of insurance (1042, 1181), which would depend upon the Power hostile to us (1028). War with the United States would be the most serious (1174). Not only would our American trade be stopped, but trade with Canada could only be carried on under a strict system of convoy (1045, 1046, 1070). In a war with a European Power the food supply from America would be kept up, but convoy might be needed (1044, 1080). War with France would stop our Mediterranean trade (1093, 1094).
Protection required. The protection needed by commerce in time of war would be the general com- mand of the sea by our fleets, convoy in narrow seas, and for slow steamers, and swift cruizers outnumbering those of the enemy. The entrance of the English Channel would require strong protection (1179).
Convoys could only proceed at slow speed (1029, 1030, 1039-1043). Steamers would be easier to convoy than sailing-ships (1138). Except in a war with Russia or Germany, the Baltic trade would be suffi- ciently protected if we retained general command of the North Sea, and protected the entrances to the Sound (1060-1065). In a war with Russia, trade from Cronstadt and Riga would cease, but if the Baltic were kept open, trade from Swedish and German ports would continue, and some Russian grain would probably come that way (1066-1068). If the Black Sea were closed, Alexandria and the neighbouring ports would be open to us, and no extraordinary protection would be required (1090, 1091). In a war with the United States or France, cruizers would probably lie off the Straits of Gibraltar (1174) If the Canal were closed, cruizers would only be found off coaling-stations and harbours, but there might be privateers everywhere (1175). Hostile cruizers off the West Coast of Africa would stop our Eastern trade (1113-1118). Such cruizers could only be found within a certain radius of coaling-stations; the importance of our command of coaling-stations is therefore evident (1177, 1178). In case of expected war, the position of merchant-ships should be communicated to the Admiralty (1181).
an
Transfer of Ships to Foreign Flag It would be easy to transfer British ships to a foreign flag, by one partner in business living abroad, or by giving a share to a foreign agent. The profits under such arrangement would practically remain in the same hands (1133-1135). The continued existence of many hostile cruizers, perhaps large and swift steamers carrying 2,000 tons of coal (1033, 1081) would compel merchants and un lerwriters to seek neutral bottoms (1035-1038, 1078). The premiums de- manded would be such that ships and trade would be driven to a neutral flag (1082, 1084, 1118- 1124, 1132, 1137). This would happen unless we cleared the sca of cruizers within a mouth (1034, 1083, 1087, 1136, 1137. 1:49) Even steamers averaging 10 knots, which if chase i might go 11 or 12 knots for a time, would not be independent of protection (1031, 1032).
The Association steamers, like all cargo-carrying steamers, are not swift enough to be taken as cruizers by foreign Powers (1152-1156).
70
Page 631
318
Page 631
Page 631