March 2, 1901.]
BRITAIN'S SEA TRADE.
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This is the great mistake of the Protec tionists, who would strike
away the very foundations of trade in their anxiety to prop it up. the long run lose far more than she gained England, we are convinced, would in
were she to become the "Universal Pro- vider" of all her needs
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT, they easily induced a willing Parliament to throw open to the world the entire coasting (Daily Press, 25th February.) and colonial trade of the Empire. The That England should continue to hold a shipping interest not unnaturally held that practical monopoly of the seaborne/com- if under the protection of the old laws, they merce of the world is not to be expected, were scarcely able to subsist, under a system, and probably is not desirable. The fear which even in the home trade exposed them is that through too much self-confidence she to untrammelled competition, the entire may so much mismanage what she is justi- trade must pass into foreign hands. That fied in considering her fair share that she it did not is one of the strongest proofs of EUROPEAN FLEETS IN CHINESE may wake up too late, and find the most the indomitable courage which has more
WATERS. profitable portion of what remains gone than once come to the rescue of the nation beyond recovery. It was only half a cen- when the prospect looked most gloomy. A tury ago that she was largely dependent on few of the leading shipowners met together outsiders for the conveyance of her goods to to discuss the situation. We must put our and from China; and the manner in which shoulders to the wheel, said the chairman, she raised herself from the backward posi- and see if we cannot accept the challenge tion in which she found herself during the and turn out ships to beat these Yankees. fifties should be an useful object to her in Taking thought of the improvements that the near future. There are a few still alive had been introduced by the Americans, the in China who remember that the principal English builders strove to tackle them on portion of the tea, which in those days their own lines, and the China trade was formed the main article of export from the field chosen. The first ships made a China to Europe, was carried in American good struggle, though beaten in the loug clippers; and that we are indeed indebted run; but the experiment was hopeful, and to the United States for the loan of that those who were in China will remember the word. In these days, too, nearly the whole excitement on the issue of the annual ocean of the coasting trade of China was carried race from Foochow to London. Grander in American and Continental bottoms, and ships than the Thermopylae, the Leander, the most frequent flag to be seen in Chinese the Taiping, and a few others, were never waters was not the red ensign, but those of turned out from a launching-slip; and it the northern European states, Norway, becaine difficult to forsee what might have Oldenburg, Hamburg, or Bremen. The been the ultimate result; when, alas for the trade of our Australian Colonies was largely, glory of the tea clipper, the Suez Canal if not mainly, conducted under the American was opened, and with the introduction of the flag, and it looked as if the "meteor flag" of steamer, the short-lived splendour of the England were about to take its departure clipper came to an end. The struggle, from the seas, which England had once
marks deep in ruled without a rival. Mr. MICHIE in his the national character. The British ship- recent work The Englishman in China has builder was not this time taken at a given a most interesting account of the disadvantage. When the Suez Canal was struggle and the manner by which little opened the British ship-owner was ready by little England's empire of the seas was and prepared. His steamers were already regained. The opening of the gold digg-built and his shipyards were ready to meet ings of California had much to say to this temporary supercession of British shipping. A vessel carried out to the new
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however, had left its
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(Daily Press, 27th February.) home that H. M battleship Ocean left The news brought by the last mail from Malta on the 23rd ult, for this station, and that H. M. battleship Canopus was to follow her, though there is no official confirmation tion by those who for the last year have of the news, will be received with satisfac- been pointing out the insufficiency of the British squadron in these waters in view of the large increase made to their naval The Ocean and Canopus are of the same strength in the Far East by other Powers.
class as the Glory and Goliath; in fact, all four are sister-ships. All alike are of dicated horse power. Though due to be com- 12,950 tons displacement and 13,500 in- ple ed at various dutes, the Ocean at the end of 1898, all are 1900 ships and all cost be tween £840,000 and £890,000. Their speed is 18.5 knots and they are armed with four of less calibre. The arrival of the Ocean would 12-inch guns and a large assortment of guns bring the number of the first class battle- ships on the station, temporarily at least,
to five, which would restore to Great Britain once more the lead of which she was dis.
possessed when Germany raised her number of battleships last year to four. There is
to the state of affairs out here. A short
also the Russian fleet to be considered in the comparison, for the announcement has been made at St. Petersburg this month the demands of the world; and for many the Far East necessitate an increase in the that the present political complications in years he may said to have supplied its mer- cantile navies. That he richly deserved Russian squadron here. Russia has at pre- El Dorado a number of emigrants, or per-
success not even his greatest enemies, and sent the Petropavlosk (10,960 tons displace- chance a cargo of stores for the miners; they are many, have attempted to deny; his ment), the Navarin (10,206 tons), and the finding on her arrival at San Francisco no prosperity was the result of no turn of for.issoi Veliky (8,880 tons), to which we may return freight available, she stretched across tune's wheel, but was the outcome of his own
add the Sevastopol (10,960 tons). All these the Pacific to China, and was at once laid sagacity. He foresaw the wants of a new
carry four 12-inch guns, but the highest on the berth to carry teas to Europe, at world, and met them boldly. But what speed attained is by the Sevastopol, 17.5 that time entirely dependent on China for the British shipbuilder has done is open denburg, Kurfürst Friedrich Wilhelm, Weis- knots. The four German battleships Bran- its supplies. She was easily able to take to his rivals, and some of them in some lower freights than the ship which had made respects have advantages he did not possess; displacement, 16 knots speed, and carry six senburg, and Wörth are all of 10,033 tons her toilsome journey out by the Cape, until America has even finer and richer deposits 11-inch Krupp guns and an assortment of by degrees these ships built for the San of iron, and it is to his credit that already, lesser calibre. It is to be trusted that there Francisco route came almost to monopolise before America herself, he is utilising this is to be seen in the reported strengthening the, trade. At that time wood was the fact. So Germany has at the moment a universal material for ship-building, and cheaper supply of labour, and has been of our battleship contingent in Far Eastern with the practically inexhaustible supply utilising it so ably that the largest and
waters the first sign of grace and that it furnished by the newly opened districts in quickest steamboat at the moment afloat portends the awakening of the Government the States, the Americans found they could has recently been turned out of a German while ago a naval critic of evident authority outbid the British builders. Unhampered shipyard. The record for size is, however, writing in the Globe, after reviewing the by tradition the people of the North- only momentary, as already the British re- Western States commenced to increase the ply is rapidly appoaching her launching. comparative positions of the British and length of their ships, and soon found that This is a competition in which both may the British Squadron in China could give a foreign fleets, said: We may be certain while the speed was considerably increased win, and as it has been brought about by their vessels lost nothing in seaworthiness. fair fight, no Englishman need repine. It fairly good account of itself, although we The navigation laws of the States made the is true that in other industries England, another modern battleship and a couple of should like to see it further reinforced by long journey from New York to San Fran- not only comparatively but actually, has
The critic cisco a coasting voyage in which no outsider been losing ground, but be would be a rash cruisers of the Cressy type." could compete, and thus the New England man who would assert that within a single for at least one battleship seems certain, seems now likely to have his desire gratified, builders had the trade in their hands in generation the energies of England have so both directions, an opportunity of which declined that she cannot in 1901 do as she and rumours have been busy with the name of the Cressy in connection with China, they did not fail to avail themselves. It did in 1870, and make the world her debtor. seemed under circumstances little better It is well to remember that in the middle and the service papers hint at the probability than an act of insanity on the part of ages England was dependent on Germany of a similar cruiser to follow her out here. the British Government of the day to and the Low Countries for many of the select this period of greatest depression, staples which she now supplies to those
The report of H.M. Consul for South when the shipping trade was already well countries, and in the course of trade all Formosa states that the total exports of sugar amounted, in 1899 to 692, 622 cwts., valued at nigh ruined, for the abolition of the last staples must find their level. If every £305,403, being a decrease from the previous barrier to extinction in the entire repeal of country could supply equally well the staples year of 100,361 cwts, in quantity, and £18,716 the Navigation Laws. Eo assured were, of its neighbour, there would, it is always in value, of which 99,480 owts, at £15,625 and however, the leading spirits of the day of well to remember, be no occasion for trade; 881 owts. at £3,091 represent the decreases in the truth of their fetish, Free Trade, that and the entire world would become stagnant, * brown and white sugar respectively,
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