The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-11-11
HILL CLUBS JAPANESE
WITH MONSTER SHIPS?
Boats Minnesota and Dakota as
Weapons in Great Trans
portation Game.
Correspondence Of The Journal.

Correspondence of The Journal. s-sa
On Board the Steamship Minnesota,
Nov IL do not suppose there were
discussion than have the Minnesota and
the Dakota. When they were launched
they were the greatest cargo carrying
boats afioat, and besides this, they were
built to carry nearly 5000 persons and
to do it more comfortably than any
financiers declared that James j. Hill
had at last committed a folly which
would cost him and those interested
with him pretty penny before he was
safe out of the net into which his
mammoth bottoms would enmesh him.
g.. do not pretend to know the secret
OF all the games which are played in
know that men like Hill play great
games which look suicidal to the masses,
but which are played with deep in
sight to the future. -.
Events have proven that Mr.. Hill
has done this in the past and has won
out. Perhaps he has a deeper game
to play with his Minnesota and Dakota
eiates know Of. The events of this
trip have impressed me with this
thought. Here are these two enormous
boats. costing over 100000 each, ply
ing steadily between Seattle and the
orient, rarely with a full passenger list
and rarely with more than 1000 to
10000 tons of freight when they are
built to carry net tonnage of over
$4,000 tons. AS Independent PROPOSE
tlons they can scarce y pay, but as traf-
fc whips in the hands of James J. Hill
and as feeders to the Great Northern
and the Northern Pacific roads, they
may be the best paying propositions
that Mr.. Hill has.
Gets Big Contract.
In connection with this question it
is interesting to know that on board
the Minnesota are two Japanese gen.
tlemen who are officials of the Nippon,
Yusen Kaishan Steamship company.
They are just returning from a sue
eessful business trip, having entered
into contract with the Great North
ern to deliver all of their freight to it
and contract with the Great North
ern Steamship company to be it's
freight agents in the Orient. These
not believe that they would have been
entered into but for the two great
hulls which stand as a menace to the
shipping interests of the Japanese ma
ton. So it is that by the use of the
Minnesota and the Dakota James J.
Hill has secured preferential traffic re-
latlons with the most powerful steam
snip interests IN Japan and the added
revenue to the Great Northern road
thus attained and assured thru a series
or years will compensate him MANY
times over for any loss that NAV he
suffered in the operation of the Giant
boats, if loss there be.
inns preferential contract which Mr..
Hill now enjoys with the Ninnon nno.
PIE is causing more worry and talk in
steamship and railroad circles than
any other single fact. Why is it en-
tered INTO, what is it's purpose and
does not Mr.. Hill know that it will
oe ru1nous IN general in the end, to
american shipping interestsg and a
dozen other pertinent or impertinent
questions are fired at him regarding
the Nippon contract. His comnetitorss
who who would undoubtedly like to taxa
the contract off his hands, declare That
IL gives the japanese the enterinr
tWedge which they have long sought to
the commerce of this country. Thev
90 not explain just why it Is an en-
terlng wedge but they talk STRONGLY
against IL from national and pafrt-
QUO standpoint. None, however, as
point. o'1ne0s stand
Why,' asked one steamship renro.
sentative of Yokohama, Ndoes NJ .e H;T
make his chief competitors his traf IT,,
agents IN the country from which tha1,
are both getting frieght9 WIZ c Jncys
US SUBMIT to his agents sending ont q
BOAT the day before either the MIMI
sofa or the Dakota sails from Yoke
1,ti' ana why does he submit to car
wbnt II III ms great So 100000 hulls only
f''' agents boats can't handle?'
Playing Great Game.
DO al o. of these question I reply that
that James j. Hill is ALWAYS n1av; Tm
ene great game' of traffic on the
ocean ana on the land with a hand
wien wien Always has some strong and I'M
Az ~ caius. IT L were to make books
odds that the Hill hand will 1 win IN Ky Ky
END when the showdown' comes .
And And the showdown" is coming soone T
1nah anyone who has not been to the
orient has any idea. The Japanese have
made great strides in affairs maritime
ana ana none who has studied the Situation
p pee oe!eves mat before many years,
peace and not war being japan = lot
the Japanese flag will be supreme thru.
out the Pacific. This is the logical con.
cluslon of the present trend of events
ana tnere is no escape from it-hnt
that is another story. 'u'
Inc ultimate supremacy of the Jan
anese, on the Pacific NAV have bea,,
seen by James j. Hill long before he
s Degan me construction of the Mime
sofa and the Dakota, and his INSIGHT
INTO the future may account for fhe
contract with the Nippon people which
- worrying his competitors. IF the
Japanese dominate the Pacific trade
Ihey VIII, of necessity, own ali The
large bottoms that are on II The
largest are the Hill boats and would
be among the first to be purchased Nv
& the Japanese. Since I have started m m
this trip. I have heard from ,Jananesa
sources that negotiations are in proo.
Tess for tho purchase of these boats
by the Japanese.
Another Possibility.
If it is true that the Japanese want
Mr.. Hill s boats, how easy it would be-
for Mr.. Hill to make it a part of the
consideration that the Hill lines should
get Tor long term of years all or a.
certain large percentage Of the tonnage
OF the Minnesota and Of the Dakota. as
well as of all the other bottoms con- ~
trolied or owned by the Japanese and
sall,ng between the orient and Seattle {?
Perhaps this is part of the stgreat
game - which Mr.. Hill is playing . At
any rate 1t will be interesting to watch
events as. two other great railroad svs-
tens push their lines toward Seattle
which is rapidlv henon,inr ~ .as,,