Evening star., 1902-03-22
JAPAN IN THE PACIFIC
Making a Strong Bid for
Asiatic Trade.
BUREAU OF COMMERCE
BIG BANKS WITH HUNDREDS oF
MILLIONS ON DEPOSIT.
The Museum of Singapore-A Visit 20
the Tokyo Stock Ex-
change.
BUREAU OF COMMERCE
Copyright 1902, by Frank G. Carpcnter)

Copyright 1902, by Frank G. Carpcnter)
Special Correspondence Of The Evening Star.
TOKYO, Japan.
The japanese are about to establish a
bureau of foreign commerce. Parliamen ut
has already discussed the question and the
plan has been outlined. There will by Il
central department at Tokyo and branch
Offices in London. Paris, Berlin. New York,
Boston. Chicago and other places. Inc
business Of the bureau will be to look up
openings for Japanese trade and inform
japanese merchants. 1T will be somewhat
like our bureau of commerce of the State
Department. which is said to be the best
Cf its kind in the world.
The Japanese government is straining 10
capture the trade Of the Pacific. 1t hopes
20 make Japan the workshop of the orient,
and has commercial and industrial train
ing schools under way for that purpose. 1t
is also subsidizing its steamship lines, Civ
ing industrial exhibitions and encouraging
foreign trade III other ways.
Japan's Commercial Museum.
The government is insttuting commercial
museums at the ports of the far east. l
found one in Singapore under the manage
ment of the japanese consul there The
plan Is much like the Philadelphia
Museum. save that it's goods are all Jap
anese There are clocks shOvels, hats.
fans and brushes, all made in Japan. There
are samples of japanese rugs, stationery.
umbrellas. trunks and satchels, as well as
of silk linen and cotton goods. There are
carts and jinrikShas, the latter FORMING
one of the chief exports to the different
% centers of the far east. japanese Jlnrlk-
shas are used in Pekin, Shanghai, Hong
Kong Saigon and Singapore. There has
been an attempt to introduce them into
the Philippines. but so far our government
has frowned on using man as CAB morse
and the attempt has not been successful
Singapore is an excellent place for such
4 museum. Il is the halfway station on
-he trip around the world, and 1t is where
The water highways to different parts of
The orient cross. There are ships from
India. Siam. the Philippines. Australia.
China and Europe always at anchor in It's
harbor. Fifty-tive thousand vessels come
into it every year. and its annual trade
amounts 10 S2S.,uoo. .0NN. The Japant Sc
catch the traders they go back and
forth, working not only the Singapore
trade. but the countries which import
through Singapore. 10 Singapore alone the
Japanese exports already amount 10 ABOUT
So, ,o00UOo gold
The Carriers of the Pacific.
The Japanese hope to be the carriers of
the Pacific. They among the best sail
ors of the world. They take to water like
ducks. Ihelr country consists Ol ABOUT
4an mountainous islands running through
the Pacific in the form of a crescent as long
as from New York city to Salt Lake. The
most of the islands small and the bulk
Of the population lives near the sea. The
result is that every man of them can handle
boat. and in past generations they have
been noted for their junks and war vessels
They have always done a great freight
business with China and Corea. Today
they are levying toll on all the world in
freight and express charges They have
as good ships as you will find anywhere,
and they are building some of 5000 tons
each in their own shipyards. These ship
Yards are at Nagasaki and are under sub
sidy from the government. The Japanese
have been also buying modern steamers of
England and the United States. They are
continually bringing in new vessels from
the shipyards of the Clyde
They have today 100 modern steamers
in their merchant marine and about 20O0
sailing vessels Of European type They
have 2o.tN4 native vessels and innumer-
able small boats. You can now go around
the world in a Japanese steamer. There
is line of twelve great ships from Yoko-
hama to London by the SueZ canal. and
there are several good lines from the
United States to Japan. The ToyO kiSen
kaisha has three steamers Of 5000 tons