The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-09-21
TO BUILD JAPAN SHIPS,
Belief That American Firms
Will Secure Contracts
for Them.
A NEWSPAPER MANS OPINION,
William E. Curtis Tells About the
Cholera Scourge in the
Orient.

William E. Curtis of the Chicago Record
arrived from the Orient early yesterday
morning on the steamship Gaelic and reg
istered at the Palace in the afternoon. He
came directly from China, tarrying but
three days in Japan.
When he left Picking Colonel DENLY, the
United States Minister, and the British
Minister were pushing the investigations
regarding the massacre of missionaries.
1.-The trouble in China" said Mr.. Curtis,
ais the weakness of the central Govern
ment and the Indifference of the people to
the proclamations of the Viceroy. Still
the Chinese authorities are taking steps to
punish the perpetrators of the recent out
RACES. Seven executions of death sentence
have taken place in one province and more
will follow.
"rhe cholera" said Mr.. Curtis, sis
dreadful in China. 1t is epidemic in
Picking, Tientsin and Shanghai. The
death rate in Peking is APPALLING. Dead
men, victims of the plague, may be seen
on the streets. For small coin called
cash, the value of which is one-twentieth
of cent, permit to take body outside
the gates for burial may be obtained. The
coin is dropped in bucket when the per-
NIT is issued, and some days the bucket is
ed.
"In Shanghai Europeans have been
attacked and eighteen foreigners had died
at last accounts. In Picking few foreigners
reside, but at Tientsin the death of one
white man has been reported. In Peking
the rapid spread of the cholera is due
largely to the neglect of sanitary precau-
tions. The cholera has been bad there
before, but this time it seems more fatal
and sweeping than ever"
In Japan Mr.. Curtis saw Irving M. Scott
of the Union Iron Works and also the
representatives of the Cramps the Bethle-
hem Works and of Carnegie and Hotch-
kiss. The Japanese Cabinet has practically
decided to have four ships of Japan's new
navy constructed in the United States.
Said Mr.. Curtis:
at is understood that the Union Iro7
Works will get an order for one battle-ship
and one cruiser and that the Cramps will
receive like commission. Some of the
under officials, influenced perhaps by the
English, are endeavoring to prevent an
award to American builders. Mr.. Scott
was expecting the Olympia every day and
hoping that the presence of this cruiser
in Japanese waters would strengthen the
sentiment in favor of American ships. If
Cramp and Scott succeed in getting con-
tracts for building warships, Carnegie and
the Bethlehem Works will probably fur
nish the armor-plating."
Mr. Curtis went to Japan to investigate
the opportunity offered for the investment
of American capital and skill in the indus
trial enterprises of that country. He
found no market for manufactured mer-
chandise, as the Japanese can duplicate
nearly everything produced in this line by
Europeans and Americans. He believes
there is good market for machinery,
iron, cotton and raw materials generally.
Singularly enough, he observed that
American cotton used in Japan goes via
Liverpool, and pays profit to the English
merchants and shippers handling it.
''Our country" says Mr.. Curtis, "should