The herald., 1897-03-21
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1 A glance at the press of Japan shows
that our little neighbor across the water
whom we used to love and call pet names
has lately been cutting such figure on
the high seas that she has brought down
upon herself the anathema of those Of
our great corporations who have an eye
| SINCE to the freight and passenger traf-
| fic. Aside from those blessed souls, how
ever, the whole world says amen. A
short study of the growth of the mari
| time business of Japan shows some
things astonishing. The way they bristle
| up to companies twice as large as they
are is laughable as well as astonishing
| A little over twenty years ago all the
ships owned in Japan were old-fash-
| ioned side-wheelers only doing a coast
| ing trade, and officered by foreigners at
| that. They seemed to doubt their own
| ability to navigate in rough water and
| kept aloof from such localities as were
| know to be dangerous.
In other ways they labored under dis
advantages whenever they came into
competition with foreign lines, Their
old ships consumed more coal than bet
| ter ones, and required constant and ex-
pensive repairs. Yet they worked along.
gaining somewhat on account of the
cheapness of their labor, and also on ac-
count of a strong tendency in their
people to stand together as against for
eigners.
The first line they operated was be-
tween Osaka and Tosa, a distance of
only about 100 miles, and as their busi-
ness was too small to attract much at
tention from foreign companies, they
went on unmoested until about 1876
when Mr. Iwasald Yataro with some
assistance from his government, opened
a regular line to run between Yokohama
Kobe and Shanghai. This was in direct
competition with the Pacific Mail
Steamship Co.. and the Japanese soon
discovered what it meant to get in the
way of a great western corporation. An
open quarrel ensued, and the orientals
saw that If they maintained their line at
all they must endure the damaging ef-
fects of rate war as well as other
obstacles which the Pacific Mail could
throw in their way. To less indomitable
PEOPLE it would have seemed hopeless,
but not so with them. They bristled up
to their great antagonist and stood an
eight months war, during which they
lest yen 2SS, 900, but succeeded in defeat
irg their enemy and purchasing its ships
and other properties. The Pacific Mail
company also entered into an agreement
not to run steamers on the Shanghai
line for thirty years. Mr. Alex. Center,
general agent for the Pacific Mail COM
pany. went over there and personally
superintended the closing of the deal.
The Nippon Yusen Kaisha Japan Mail
Steamship Company, then entered into
peaceable possession of its new property
and apparently everything was clear
SO ling. But, alasi it was only calm
before anther storm. The p. & o. an
other steamship company doing busi-
ness in the same building on Market
street in San Francisco, and selling its
tickets over the same counter that the
Pacific Mail does, sent it's ships on the |
Shanghai line. OF course, the whole
ground had to be fought over and
even more. for this time the battle lasted
nearly a year and the moneyed loss was
yen $4,000. But the Japs were victori-
Gus, and as late as the July, 1896, num-
ber of the Far East" Mr.. Iwasaki
says, by that victory we succeeded
to monopoly of the line from this time
forward"
But how little did Mr.. Iwasaki know
about the elasticity of a contract drawn
by a corporation lawyer. Last year a
boom struck Shanghai and the rush
went that way and so did the Pacific
Mail l was so surprised when / heard
it that I called on Mr.. Alex Center at his
office and asked him II it was really so.
Mr. Certer is a pleasant gentleman and
a good business mkn he, must be to hold
very bad memory, for the only thing he
could remember about the contract was
that he sold some ships to the japanese
which were putty old" and
his eyes twinkled as he said it. But
about the thirty years clause he could
not remember word.
| guess 1t was true that the ships he
sold were putty DID," but the Nippon
Yusen Kaisha has some ships that are
putty" new 1t boasts fifty-three of
modern construction with six more In
process of building, and 1t reaches out
for its share of the traffic well equipped
and fully determined to hold its own.
It's ships are manned with native crews
to whom they pay so per cent less than iS
paid to western seamen, and they carry
coal enough for the round trip mined In
Japan at about $1.25 silver per ton. In
addition to this they are backed by
beneficent government which renders
valuable aid in the way of bountdes. l
suppose what they have to fear Is con-
gressional Interference from us. As 1t
is now, they threaten to enter our ports
and reduce the cost of passage amid OF
freight much below the old companies
rates. and believe if allowed to Go so
the Nippon Yusen Kaisha cam teach us
something in economies and in ethics