The evening times., 1899-01-12
GERMANY BIDDING
FOR ASIA'S TRADE
Contracts for Postal and Gem
mercial Service.
Communication Received by the
Treasury Bureau of Statistics.
Southern Lands-Four New Steam
crs to He Built.

The great interest in Asiatic commerce
which other nations as well as the Unit d
States are now exhibiting is illustrated in
a recent subsidy agreement made by the
German government by which it proposes
to pay more than $1,G00,000 year for a
fifteen-year term for the establishment of
steamship lines to ply between German
ports and those of Japan, China and Aus
tralasia. That the German government
and those of its citizens participating in
commerce should feel special interest in
the trade Of the Orient is not surprising,
in view of the fact that German exports
to that part of the world have been quad
dupled in the last decade.
A copy of the contract between the Ger
man government and the Lloyd Steamship
Line for the establishment and ma.nten-
ance of postal and commercial communi-
cation between Germany and Ea.tein
Asia and Australasia has reached the
Treasury Bureau Of Statistics. 1t shows
that the Lloyd Company agrees to main
tain for fifteen years steamship lines run
ming from Bremerhaven or Hamburg, by
way of a Belgian or Dutch port, through
Genoa, Naples, Port Said, Suez, Alden, Co
lombo, Singapore and Hongkong, to
u
second main line through the same ports
to Yokohama, Japan; a main line through
the same ports to Adelaide. Me. bourne
and Sydney, Australia, and branch lines
from Hongkong to Shanghai and from
Singapore to German New Guinea AID
other ports in Oceanica.
Four steamers are, under this contract
TO be built for the Chinese and japanese
service. TO be of not less than 5000 tons,
md to hos of
every respect; their plans to be approved
by the admiralty, and to be running re-
spectively by October l. 1899. and January
l, September l and November l. 1900. The
steamers 10 be constructed for the Aus
tralian line are to be of not less than $500
tons, and also equal to those of other ma
tions in every respect, and subject to the
approval CT the admiralty. All the ships
are to be built in German
yards and German material is to
be used as far as possible:
all admiralty requirements to be carried
out in them, putting them into condition
in which they can readily be utilized for
war purposes when necessary. The agree
ment provides that in case of mobilizing
the fleet the chancellor can purchase the
vessels on full payment Of their value or
can hire them. The terms of the contract
also provide that only German coal is TO
be taken on board at German, Belgian or
Dutch ports of call, except by the special
assent Of the imperial chancellor; that if
German and foreign goods are simultans.
ouSly offered for dispatch, the German
goods are, If necessary, TO have the prefer
ence, and that the chancellor may prohib-
ii the Importation by German. Belgian or
Dutch ports of such agricultural products
! as may compete with those Of Germany
The agreement provides that the Ger
man government shall pay to the Lloyd
Company $3.50, 600 marks a year in month
ly instalments. The regular plan of sail
ing on the Japanese line must begin at the
latest in April, 1899
1t is also announced that a Bremen
firm intends 10 establish with steamers
now being built for that purpose steam
snip line on the Yang -tSe- Kiang in China
TO ply between Shanghai and Hankow. By
the aid Of these lines which will connect
with the subsidized lines running from
Hamburg TO Shanghai German dealers will
be in direct communication not only with
Shanghai, which has two-thirds of the
import trade of China but also with Ham
kew, cne of the most important CONNER
clal cities OF China and having a poplIla-
tlon OF about one million 1t is now being
connected with Pekin by railroad. Ham
kow is probably the most important of
the distributing centres of interior China.
being splendidly situated in the heart of
rivers and lakes and reached by the larg-
est ocean steamers. and when to this is
added the railway system now under con-
struction its Importance as a distributing
point for interior China cannot be over
estimated.
Germany's exports to the Asiatic coun-
tries have increased rapidly in the last
decade. Her exports to China in 1887
amounted to 14,3O9. 900 marks in value
and in 1896 TO IS, ,266 900 marks. To Japan
the 1887 exports We're 639S 900 marks and
those of 1896 5,61l 600 marks To British
East Indies they were in 1887 7 7.23O Goa
marks and in 1896 49,179.0 900 marks. To
Dutch East Indies and the Philippines
they were in 1887 5,S49 900 marks and in
1886 16.943,000 marks. To Australia thev
were in 1887 100000 marks and in 1895
29, ,247, 600 marks
The following figures show the total
value OF German exports to Asia and Oce-
anica by years from 1887 to 1896: 1887 Al
256,OOO marks; 1888, 50,013 900 marks 1889
lO4. .O22,OO0 marks; 1890. 116 927. 900 marks:
1891, 125. 200 marks; 1892 114.121 OOO
marks; 1893, 1873 SS1, 900 marks; 1894 lis
$4,000 marks: 1895. 143, ,S17.0 900 marks.
1896, 176, ,2460 900 marks
BREAKING F0pTu scarHr