The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1896-05-21
Two New Steamship Lines for
the Growing Trade With
This Country.
EAGER TO LOAN THEIR MONEY
European Nations Sparring for the
Privilege of Assisting China
Financially.

TOXIC, JAPAN, May 6.-Competition is
keen among foreign projectors OF railways
in Korea. An American syndicate having
set the example by obtaining q concession
10 build road from Seoul TO Chemulpo-
the most paying route of all-French cap
italists, backed by Russian influence. are
seeking a similar concession for the line
between Seoul and Gensan, while Japan
csc merchants are offering TO build road
from Seoul to Fusan, where their principal
settlement is.
Maritime enterprise attracts much atten-
ton in Japan at present. A company has
been formed for the purpose of establish
ing a line of steamers from Japan to
America and Batoum, the idea being to
cut into the petroleum carrying trade.
The importation of kerosene to Japan
now represents a value of 100000 yen
annually IN round numbers. Another
company has been organized to run a
service OF steamers from Japan to Port
land. There is talk of amalgsmating the
two companies. Their united capital
would be $500, 600 yen.
The details of the negotiations carried
on in Pekln for China's second loan of 100,-
100000 taels show that in the end England
and Germany were united against France
and Russia. The loan had been distinctly
promised to England by the Chinese Gov
eminent, but the terms offered by the
Hongkong and Shanghai Bank, on behalf
of itself, the Deu tsch- Asialische Bank and
London syndicate headed by the Roths-
childs, were neither liberal nor trm-a 5-per-
cent loan at minimum price of S915, the
bank to receive per cent commission and
the Chinese to reap the full benefit OF any
subscription over and above 1917 Seeing
that the 4-per-cent loan made by Russia
and Japan had been at 90, the Chinese
thought this Anglo-German offer too
dear. But the bank would make no re-
duction. AT last negotiations were broken
off, and the Tsung-li Yamen found itself
inundated with proposals from other
quarters, among them being an American
offer OF silver loan i'll terms of gold at a
fixed ratio.
The most favorable proposal. however,
came from France, backed by Russia, and
1t might have been accepted had not the
Emperor and Empress Dowager, despite the
urging of Ii Hung Chang, objected to
pledging China more deeply to France,
and had not the proposal been accom-
panied by irksome conditions; for ex-
ample, that the control of the customs,
the revenues from which constitute the
security for the loan, should be placed in
French hands, and that the work OF build
ing railways in the southern PROVING es of
China should be intrusted to France. At
the eleventh hour, Sir Robert Hart, In
spector-Genera OF Customs, was called in.
He induced the bank to make firm offer
OF a per cent loan at "a, the bank paying
itself out of the subscriptions over and
above the minimum issue price.
German statesmen have not much rea-
son to congratulate themselves in con-
nection with their doings in the Far East
during the past year. Germany joined
with France and Russia to recover Lao
tung from Japan, the avowed object of the
combination being to secure the indie
pendence Of Korea, menaced, as was al
legged, by Japanese occupation of the
Liaotung peninsula and of the northern
littoral OF the Yellow Sea. The first re-
suit of the combination was that France
and Russia leagued together, to the ex-
clusion OF Germany, for the purpose of
procuring the political reversion of China s
estate, the second result was that Japan,
being paralyzed for separate action in
Korea, Russia stepped in and obtained in
the peninsula footing that certainly
independence. The third result is that
Germany now finds herself joining hands
with England to combat the political i'm
portance that France and Russia ACC uired
in China chiefly owing to the co-ope ration
OF Germany herself.
The Korean officials. members of the
recently overthrown Government, who
were for some time under trial for com
nj N hQ mn 6or Of rta
been sentenced, one to death, four to exile
for life, and others to exile for terms rang
ing from one to fifteen years. The court
in its judgment states distinctly that the
murder was perpetrated by Japanese.
Now when the japanese suspects were
under trial at Hiroshima, every effort was
made through the Korean Government to
obtain proof of their guilt. Nevertheless,
they had to be discharged for want of
sufficient evidence Hence the Korean
courts open assumption of their guilt and
the Korean Governments Endorsement OF
the finding raise very delicate question.
Ii Pom-chin, the head and front of the
Government that came into power in
Korea after the fight OF the King to the
Russian Legation, has retired from the
leadership of the Cabinet and accepted va
rious sinecures conferred on him by his
sovereign. Apparently his tenure Of office
had only one object, revenge upon the po
litical foes OF himself and the conservative
party. That accomplished, he does no
care to brave the assassin sword, by which
every Korean statesman who uses the
sword for his own purposes is threatened
The journals of the Opposition in Japar
do not approve the idea of an entente be
tween Russia and japan for the purpose o.
preserving order In Korea. They foreses
that Russia will gradually get the upper
hand and will elbow her ally out of the
peninsula altogether. But until the de-
tails OF the understanding are known these
criticisms possess little value.