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increasing trade carried by Japanese shipping companies between Canton and other ports on the coast of China, notably Shanghai. This, as you are no doubt aware, was a principal section of our own coastwise trade up to the time of the occupation of Canton by the Japanese forces, and it is evident from the attached particulars of cargo moving that this trade is now becoming a substantial and profitable one to the Japanese, whilst British shipping is entirely excluded terefrom. As a matter of interest, we quote an extract from the advices of our Janton agent indicating some of the steps being taken by the Japanese to promote this trade:-
"Mitsui Bus san Kaisha offered $1,000.00 to five of Wing Yuen Tong's members as expenses for making a trip to Shanghai in the attempt of gathering some of the shippers there to begin shipments of Groundnut Seeds, Groundnut Oil, Beans and
other Cereals to Canton.
"All shipments are to be made under the name of Mitsui
Bussan Kaisha and on arrival, they will be stored in Mitsui Bussan Kaisha's godowns, charging owners commission
and storage charges.
"These five men are leaving Canton by s/s "Shirogane Maru"
on the 28th inst.
"Bananas shippers are the present dealers in the fruit market who recently formed a company to buy the bananas from up-countries and shipped to Shanghai under a Japanese Firm called Shek Tin by paying a commission of thirty-five cents per picul. These dealers are not our old customers. Our broker met one foki of our old shippers Tai Fung but he told our broker that his master had not returned to Canton
to open business.
"Of the five men to go to Shanghai on 28th September at Mitsui Bussan Kaisha's expense one is from Kwong Shing Hing and one from Kwong Yik Cheong, both influential Wing Yuen Tong's members, while a third is an Interpreter. identities of the other two have not yet been disclosed. "There have been three Banana shipments so far this year
The
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