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the Shanghai-Nanking Customs charges and might claim special rates and rebates on Railway, thereby depriving the Chinese Government of a certain portion of its revenue. And so on. It is Similarly the French might claim financial exemptions in Yunnan. obvious that this sort of thing cannot go on all round. It is equally obvious that other nationalties will not allow it to be persisted in on behalf of a favoured nation in a special sphere. To do so would be to pass a self-denying ordinance against the principle of the open door and equal opportunity for all, a principle for which every nationality has stood out at one time or another in respect of the China field.
Extracted from National Review, Shanghai, 1st August, 1914.
following lines: (a) O.S.K. Formosa & Dairen Line. (6) N.Y.K. Tientsin, Bombay, America, Australia and European Lines. (c) S.M.R. Shanghai Lina. "As a concession to "foreign" imports, which constitute local cargo at the three Seaports Newchwang, Dairen and Antung foreign steamers having no "facilities for granting through BS/Lading-it is announced that a reduction of "15% would be made on the old rail rates also effective from the 1st instant. "Whether this has been granted as a result of the protest formulated locally by "the Foreign Board of Trade it is difficult to say, as no reply has yet been "received thereto, but the point to observe is the fact that imports by Japanese "steamers over practically every existing ocean route continue to enjoy a “discrimination in their favour of 15% as against imports by foreign steamers, * which is none the less a flagrant breach of the professed open-door policy of the Japanese in Manchuria, a door which has been figuratively described as being "so small that only a Japanese can get through it,"
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Extract from a letter from Newchwang, dated 29th July, 1914.
As you doubtless know, we are now faced with an equally-perhaps much more--serious setback to British trade in the shape of the rail-rate reductions on through goods from Japan to Inland Points in Manchuria by the Japan-Korea-Antung overland rail route. The Tokyo Railway Bureau-which excercises a controlling hand over the Japanese railways of both Korea and Manchuria, has sanctioned a 30% rate reduction (actually in force) on specific through goods from Japan by that route and 15% on such through goods via sea and Dairer, but on the other hand has declined to allow any corresponding reduction of the rail rates on goods railed from Dairen and Newchwang to Inland Points, so that goods of whatever nature or origin-other than specific through goods from Japan-are penalised to that extent. Added to which, the Japan Cotton Exporters' Association are said to enjoy an additional special rebate of Y. 1.50 a ton on their product-if exceeding 5,000 tons in a year.
Furthermore, all goods entering Manchuria by land from Korea and/or beyond, via Antung, benefit by the remission of one-third of the ordinary Chinese Customs import tariff duty. This latter benefit was, of course, obtained on the strength of having in the past been conceded to other countries (Russia in 1882 was the first, I believe) baving land frontiers marching with those of China, but those other countries were very differently situated vis-a-vis the rest of the world's imports into China than Japan is to-day with regard to the rest of the world's imports into Manchuria.
DEAR SIR,
Messrs. Butterfield & Swire to China Association, Shanghai.
Shanghai, 12th October, 1914.
Referring to previous correspondence in this connection we have to advise you that our Dainy Agent reports as follows:-
"We learn that the concession of 30% un specific imports from Japan "which became effective on the 1st July last, is extended from the 1st instant to cover through cargo imported at Dairen and Newchwang by steamers of the
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Yours faithfully,
(Signed) BUTTERFIELD & SWIRE.
China Association, Shanghai,
The Secretary,
ŠIR,
H.M. Consul-General, Shanghai, to Shanghai Branch.
H.M. Consulate-General,
Shanghai, 23rd October, 1914.
I am directed by His Majesty's Minister to communicate to your Branch of the Association, for the information of members, the following statement with regard to preferential rates of freight granted on the South Manchuria Railway to certain through goods imported from Japan to Manchuria.
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"On the 22nd June last a Notification was issued by the South Manchuria Railway Company with reference to the freight rates to be levied on certain specified through goods passing from Japan into Manchuria via Dairen. It appeared from this "Notification that the Dairen rates on these classes of goods were to correspond with "those of Antung, but no mention was made of similar favourable treatment for foreign gooda passing through Dairen from Shanghai, or for goods of any nationality passing through Newchwaug. In reply to an enquiry on the former of these two points, the Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs informed His Majesty's Ambassador at Tokio, on "the 20th July last, that at present only through goods (either Japanese or foreign) from
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