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APPENDIX TO SECTION 8.
COPY of a CIRCULAR issued in the INDIAN BAZAARS by a COMMERCIAL AGENT of the IMPERIAL JAPAnese Government to all DEALERS IN MANCHESTER GOODS.
GENTLEMEN,
WITH a view to develop the existing trade between India and Japan under the great impetus received by the presout great war, and in order to cement more closely the existing commercial relations, I have been specially nominated as Commercial Agent by His Imperial Japanese Majesty's Government to tour over all India, and to investigate the possibilities of furthering the trade so se to lead to mutual benefit and improved conditions of business.
For the above purpose, 1 am going to sojourn in this city for a short time, during which period I shall be much pleased to furnish any information desired regarding the present lines of business and also other lines, which any merchant or dealer may be intending to develop in the future, as also to receive any suggestions regarding banking and financial facilities, the get up and manufacture of an article so as to suit the Indian taste or any poiut which may conduce to better business.
Of late there seems to exist some misunderstanding and prejudice regarding the business methods of the Japanese merchants, and sorne complaints having reached the ears of my Government, it is my special purpose to investigate the cause of the belief, and disabuse the minds of the traders by giving correct Information,
Of course, the Japanese merchants being ammerous, it cannot be supposed that all could be fully honest and fair in their dealings; though I may assure, that with the exception of a few petty dealers, the vast majority are trying their utmost to deal fairly with all their clients, for they have a reputation to maintain.
However, should any merchant or dealer be dissatisfied, and have ground for complaints, during my stay here, all such complaints would bo batter referred to me, and 1 snail be much pleased to have an Interview, or to have suggestions made to me, so as to put the relation on a mutually advantageous basis.
Hereto I append a few queries to which your kind attention is solicited, and any reply in returu, or a personal interview at the above address, will be much appreciated.
Yours faithfully,
COMMERCIAL AGENT OF THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT.
Queries.
1. What kind of goods you either import from or export to Japan? Please state the rumes of articles or the sorts of goods.
2. What are the most inconvenient points encountered by yon, and how you have suffered in your transactions with merchants or manufacturers? Please express your own opinioù as to how to smooth over the diffenity.
3. Please state the mode of transactions, whether F.O.B., C.L.F., &c., prices are fixed.
4. What are the defects found in the goods imported? Kindly desail them.
5. Please institute a comparison regarding making quality and price between gouds of Japanese and similar foreign make (especially the difference in comparison with the German and Austrian make). what way they excel or are found deficient?
In
6. If you have had to meet with some trouble regarding some particular case, mention your grievances, if possible, in full detail.
7. If there exists some bad feeling, any misunderstanding, or complaint, please mention it without any besitation. If not, please visit me and give your explanation.
8. If any Japanese article similar to foreigu makes be found better in quality, and cheaper in price, but not in consonance with the requirements and taste of the Indian consumers, on account of the lack of knowledge by the Japanese makers, please send samples with your suggestions, which will be forwarded to my Government, if possible, who will do their best to prevail upon manufacturers to accommodate to the iliosyncrasies.
9. Will you favour me with a copy of your contract, showing the nature of teras and clauses on which transactions are entereil into.
10. What kinds of articles, you think, will be advisable to import and export to and from into India and Japan in the future? Killy give a list of them.
GENTLEMEN,
Taking advantage of my short stay here, I avail of this opportunity presented to me to make a few observatious, and to advise merehauts on the following -
(1) Please remember that the Japanese factories are quite capable to manufacture goods of superior quality than hitherto found here from home.
(2) The Government assiduously en leuvonta co supervise over and control the business integrity of its people.
(3) Should you be desirous of opening new business, please tuquire of the Yokohama Specie Bank about the credit and status of a mereliant, or otherwise write directly to the following barest in Japan, who will be pleased to supply the desired information :---
Shoko-kyoku, Noshoma-Sho, Tokyo, Japan.
(Truuslation.The Bureau of Commerce and Industry in the Department of Agricultore
and Commerce, Tokio, Japan.
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(4) If desired, I shall introduce, so far as I know, some Japanese merchants and manufacturers. (5) Please remember that your name will be published in the Official Gazette, whereby you will be brought more prominently to the notice of the Japanese merchants, and the namo will be permanently on record.
(6) Your reply in English will oblige. If not, vernacular will do, With good wishes for the prosperity of business and increase of mutual felicitons relations between India and Japan.
I remain,
Yours faithfully.
COMMERCIAL AGENT OF THE JAPANESE GOVERNMENT.
SECTION 9. Review of the British Shipping Position in the Far East.
Sources of Information. The following information is compiled from memoranda received from the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Co., Ltd.; the British India Steam Navigation Co., Ltd.; and the Canadian Pacific Railway Co.; and also as a result of interviews with Mr. R. D, Holt, M.P., of Messrs. Alfred Holt & Co., and Messrs. John Swire & Sons, Managers of the China Navigation Co., Ltd.
The following brief consideration of the main features of the shipping position
in the Far East may be conveniently subdivided under three headings:
(a) The European services.
(b) The trans-Pacific lines.
(e) The coasting trade in the Far East.
(a) The European Services,
Position before the War. The principal British steamship lines operating regular services between the United Kingdom and Continental ports and the countries of the Far East before the war were the P. & 0. S.N. Co.; the Ocean Steamship Co. and the China Mutual S.N. Co., operated by Messrs. Alfred Holt & Co. of Liverpool, and known as the Blue Funnel Line; the Glen Line; the Shire Line; and the Ellerman Line,
The P. & O. ran a fortnightly service with passengers and mails, changing steamer at Colombo, and also numerous intermediate steamers between London and Japan, calling at principal ports. The Bine Funnel Line were the principal freight carriers, and operated a regular fast weekly service of cargo steamers between British and Continental ports and Singapore, Hong Kong, China and Japan, and also direct steamers to the Dutch East Indies and the Philippines. This line, by reason of its frequent, fast and regular service, its excellent steamers and good management, secured the great bulk of the carrying trade, and was generally regarded among merchants in the Far East as the most satisfactory and businesslike shipping company on the run. Its steamers loaded weekly at Birkenhead and so secured a very large share of the piece goods traffic. The wharves, warehouses, and agency arrangements in the Ear East were admirable, and every convenience and facility was offered.
The Glen, Shire, and Ellerman lines carried a large proportion of the London cargo, but their services were neither as frequent nor as regular as the Blue Funnel Line.
The competition prior to the war was mainly encountered from the N.D.L.. Hamburg Amerika, and Nippon Yusen Kaisha lines in the Straits, Siam, China, and Japan trade; from the Dutch steamers in the Java trade; and from the Messageries Maritimes in the trade of French Indo-China. All these companies, however, were members of the Outward and Homeward Shipping Conferences, and standard rates of freight were maintained.
On the whole the services were excellent, and the British lizes held the predominant position in the trade.
Position during the War-Since the outbreak of war the services have been reduced, partly by reason of the number of vessels chartered by the Admiralty (in March 1910 the P. & O. Co. state that 30 or more of their vessels have on occasion been under charter to the Admiralty), and partly by submarine losses. German competition has been eliminated, but Japanese competition is likely to prove more serious.
A 2687
654
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