The San Francisco call., 1904-07-21
STEAMSHIPS SAILING FROM SAN FRANCISCO
IN DANGER OF CAPTURE BY RUSSIAN SQUADRON
Liners Cargoes Are Contra
band Under Russian
War Rules.

PARIS, July 20.-The Temps, discuss
| ing the passing Of the Vladivostok
! squadron through the straits of Tsu-
gari, says it's purpose is either to at
tack the unprotected cities on the east
/ ern coast of Japan or to intercept
American merchant steamships which
are supplying Japan with all sorts of
/ provisions through the port of Yoko-
/ hama
! Russia's aggressive attention to ia
1 pan-bound liners. as evidenced by re-
/ cent seizures of foreign vessels passing
/ through the Suez canal, has aroused
in the local commercial world renewed
interest in the Russian-Japanese war.
AS long as the ships Of the Russian
navy were bottled up at Port Arthur
and frozen in at Vladivostok the prob
lem of continuing commercial deal
ings with Japan was simple. The war
Z rate of insurance was not excessive,
4 Japan's necessity was great and since
the war began an uninterrupted stream
Of merchandise has been flowing across
the Pacific TO the island kingdom.
Every vessel arriving here from the
Orient has brought chest loads Of Jap
anese gold and in return the outward
Z bound liners have carried flour, lead.
inter, immense shipments of railroad
and bridge construction material and
cargo after cargo of rolling stock, all
for the ultimate use of the japanese
Government.
Russia's definition Of what would be
considered contraband of war was suf-
ficiently comprehensive to include
nearly every shipment that has been
made to Japan since the beginning of
hostilities. With no Russian interfer-
ence this stream has flowed without
interruption and shippers had almost
forgotten the war as a factor of pos
sible interference with the delivery of
goods ordered from Yokohama.
The reported arrival in the Pacific
of the Cars commerce destroyers has
ruff1ed the calm, however, and the
notification from st. Petersburg that
the Russian ships will devote their
attention to American and other ves-
sells carrying merchandise to Japan
came as a shock yesterday to shippers
and shipowners.
The big liner Korea of the Pacific
Mail Company's fleet and the Gaelic,
chartered from the White Star Line
of Liverpool by the Occidental and
Oriental Steamship Company, are the
only steamships now on the way from
this port to Japan.
The Mongolia will leave here July %
and August the japanese liner Amer
lon To- &c oh
Mongolia will carry some flour and
machinery for Japan. The America
Maru viii not need anything but the
japanese flag that floats over her stern
TO arouse interest in Russian naval
circles.
Both the Korea and the Gaelic have
in their holds large shipments of mer-
chandise for Japan and if either is
overhauled by the Russians. seizure is
a certainty, as the nature of much Of
the cargo brings il nearly enough with
in the classification "contraband' to
justify the Russians in holding the
ships and submitting the question to a
prize" court.
The Korea's cargo for Japan is val
ued at s2s4,231. 1t includes: 354 pack
ages of machinery, 24S2 pieces of angle
iron, 169,50O pounds of soda ash, ST
pieces of car material, 15,71S pounds of
sheet lead, 81, 1888 pounds of pig lead,
1O,S2O pounds Of sugar, 4514 pounds of
ham, 1161 cases of canned goods, and
lard, coffee, dried fruit, -four, hay, bar
ley and millstuffs.
The Gaelic's Japanese freight is val
ued at s12O,O22 and includes 400 cases
condensed milk, coffee, sugar. ham and
bacon, lubricating oil, machinery, cleo
trical supplies and canned goods.