942
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS, AND
[April 29, 1899.
TRANSFER OF BRITISH SHIPS TO | of the new body, the latter might perhaps be unreasonable to make foreign ships using
FOREIGN FLAGS.
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(Daily Press, 29th April.) -The transfer from the British to the Ger- man flag of an important steamship line having its head quarters at Singapore has not unnaturally caused some excitement at that port. That the principal line, one ight almost say the only regular line, be tween the British colony of Singapore and the capital of Siam, which country has no German proclivities bat on the contrary bas, if anything, a leaning towards Britain, should be a German line, under the German flag, ought to be, says a correspondent of the Free Press, a subject of the utmost moment -to the British merchants of Singapore. Quite apart from the question of patriotism (or insularity; call it which you like) the controlling of this line by Messrs. BERN, MEYER and Co, must menn an aid and im- petus to German interests and trade, for which sooner or later the British firms must suffer. The first result will be the employ ment of Gernah labour on the bouts instead of British, and the use, as much as possible, of German materials, stores, etc., requisite for the carrying on of the steamers. Again, any assistance which can be given to Ger- man main line steamers by means of tran- shipment cargo, and the hooking of cargo at low through rates, will, it is reasonable to presume, most certainly be given. Any cargo from Bangkok or Borneo which is for transhipment at Singapore for Europe, will most assuredly to the greatest possible extent be sent home in German bottoms, and the fact of their having the local lines under their control, will enable the German lines in Europe to quote cheap through-rates from European ports. The hold which the Ger man main lines already have on the trade of Singapore will be considerably strength oned, and the correspondent considers it the duty, as well as to the, interest, of British firms to frustrate the scheme as much as possible. The Free Press in a leading article on the subject suggests tha the time has come when the British merchants of Sin- gapore should put themselves into position to discuss, amongst themselves, all matters of British commerce in which foreign com- mercial competition or adverse foreign political influence come into play, and that for that purpose an association should be formed which should be separate and apart from the existing Chamber of Commerce, which is, as it stands, a cosmopolitan botly whose true function consists in dealing with all questions of general trade and of the framing of local trade regulations of general application. For the purpose of co-operation with the British Government in matters where British interests and foreign interests are at irreconcileable variance it is urged that the present Chamber of Commerce is se than useless, and that what should at once be done is, that, for consultative pur- poses in special matters of British policy, the British firms-and here it would pro- bably be proper to exclude firms including only Asiatic British subjects-should cou- stitute themselves into a British Chamber of Commerce, whose consultations and dis- cussions, except where otherwise deter- mined, would be confidential and for the information of the Colonial and Imperial
worse
authorities.
There is a good deal to be said in favour of such a proposal providing, the or- ganisation of the existing Chamber of Com- merce were not interfered with. In order to avoid confusion between the two bodies, and as it would probably be shipping questions that would chiefly command the attention
more appropriately be called the British a British port comply with the same cou- Chamber of Shipping. Such a body might, ditions as British ships. No foreign ship as well as Singapore. It might possibly that would not be approved in the case of a we believe, render good serviceat Hongkong ought to be allowed enter or to leave a British port loaded or equipped in a manner work in conjunction with the Navy League, British ship. as the spheres of the two would to some extent overlap. The Navy League exists There is a new ~ Merchant Ship- importance of maintaining a strong navy insideration of the Chamber of Commerce. for the purpose of upholding the paramount ping Act for Hongkong pending, the measure being at present under the con- order to protect our oversea commerce; but In view of the recent occurrence at Singa- pore the committee charged with the con- sideration of the Bill would do well to care fully examine its bearing upon British aud foreign shipping respectively.
if our oversea cómmerce is to be transferred
to foreign flags, then naturally the need for a strong navy becomes less paramount than it has hitherto been considered; hence the transfer of British lines to foreign flags directly concerus the League, and the local branch might appropriately form a special committee from amongst its members to consider whether the establishment of a British Chamber of Shipping is desirable, or whether the questions arising could be satisfactorily dealt with by a permanent sub-committee of the League, or whether existing organisations sufficiently meet the Case. It is of course to be assumed that if a British Chamber of Shipping were estab- lished it would be fairly representative of British shipping interests in general, and would not be allowed to become a mere instrument in the bands of the Conference, whose policy is believed to have had a direct and potent influence in inviting the establishment of forei gu steamship lines.
Such an association as has been suggested would make it its business to try to get at the inwardness of the why and wherefor of the recent transfer at Singapore and to
secure the removal of the
Cauzes
that might lead to similar transfers in the future. The transfer of a great line of steamers cannot be regarded in the light of an ordinary mercantile transaction relating to the sale and purchase of goods. British capital is as anxious to find profitable eu ployment as German capital, and British shipping agents are as skilful as Germans. When a line of steamers changes its nation- ality, therefore, it must be assumed that the reason is to be found in some advantage conferred by the foreign flag. For instance, the protective navigation laws of some countries render it advisable that vessels trading with those countries should go under their flag. That reason, however, is not operative in the case under considera- tion, where the vessels transferred from the British to the German flag are trading between a British and a Siamese port and, as regards a portion of the fleet, between two British ports. What, then, is the nd- vautage couferred by the German flag? Presumably it is that the German merchant shipping law is less stringent than the British. It may be remembered that some years ago vessels carrying Chinese emigrants from the Coast Ports to Singapore were allowed to take સ much larger number of passengers under the Ger- man than under the British flag, and it was with the greatest difficulty that the Straits Government was at last prevailed upou to
FRENCH RAILWAY SCHEMES IN SOUTHERN CHINA,
(Daily Press, 27th April.) China having given prouises both to France and Great Britain not to alienate any portion of the Southern Provinces, a brief review of the despatches concerning the French claims, contained in thelast Blue Book, may prove of interest to our readers. Lord SALISBURY having telegraphed to Sir CLAUDE MACDONALD for information, cou- cerning these claims, the Minister on the 12th April, 1898, replied by telegram that at an interview he had with the Yamen the hud acceded to the following demands on previous day he was informed that Chinn
the part of France :-(1) Kwangchowwan to be leased as a coaling station to France; (2) the right to construt a railway to
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Yunnanfu from the Tonkin frontier; (3) the promise not to alienate any territory is the three provinces of Kwangtung, Kwangsi, and Yunnan, which border o the French frontier; (4) the Chinese Gov- eroment agree that if ever they constitute a postal department independent of the maritine customs, and if a European is to be appointed as Director thereof, France shall have an equal right with that of other Powers to nominate a candidate for the post of Director. The Minister added that the Chinese Government were willing (1) to lease us as much additional ter ritory on Kowloon promontory, exclusive of Kowloon city, as was required for naval and military purposes, and (2) the Yamen stated that China was quite willing to allow extension into Yunnan of the Burmah Railway. On the following day, 13th April, the Minister was instructed by telegram to inform the Yame as fol lows:- Although they have not followed our advice, we are anxious to maintain, as far as possible, integrity of Chinn, and "will, therefore, not make new territorial demunds upon them. It is, however, absolutely necessary, if we are to pursue "this policy, that they, on their side, should “first immediately conclude negotiatious— (a) for giving us all the land required for military defences of Hongkong; (b) to 'fulfil their promise to make Nanning a trenty port; (c) to give some railway concession; (d) an agreement as to the “non-alienation of Kwangtung and Yun- so amend their law as to remove the nan. In connection with condition (d), anomaly. The same circumstances do "it is in the interests of the integrity of not occur in the case of the trade be China, and is justified by the proximity of tween the Straits and Bangkok or Borneo, "Yunnan to Burwah, aud by our cominer but they serve as an illustration of how "cial praponderance in Kwangtung." In British shipping may sometimes be haudi-a telegram of the 12th May reporting the capped by British law. As firm believers demands made by the French Minister as in the doctrine of free trade, we do not compensation for the murder of a French suggest any protective measures for British missionary in Kwangsi, one of the demands shipping or that foreign shiping should be was stated to be the right to build a mail- subjected to any disability, but we do way to join the Lungchow-Nanning line
the legislature ought to "with the sea conat.”
** Lord SALISBURY endeavour as far as possible to put all naked by telegram when the concesign on the same footing, "and that it would not, for the Lungchow-Nauning line w
say
that
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蒙蒙
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