The San Francisco call., 1908-05-31
LOCAL CHINESE TO
AID JAP BOYCOTT
Celestial Merchants Plan Great
Company to Take Oriental
Trade From Nippon

The Chinese boycott of Japanese
sooos mas reached San Francisco and
from mere will extend up and down the
Faclnc coast and across the continent
| 10 the eastern commercial centers. Let
ters and circulars have been received
by members of tho local Chinese col
ony asking the INTO suspend trade re-
tations with the Japanese, and the re-
quests have found ready compliance
me boycott had Its origin in Canton.
CHINA, and grew out OF the action of
the japanese government In forcing
an apology from China for the seizure
OF the steamship Tatsu Maru. which, 1t
was claimed was carrying a cargo of
arms Tor the Chinese rebels.
The local Chinese will cooperate in
the general movement to strike at the
Japanese commercial interests, and
many of the oriental merchants will
JOIN In the movement recently launched
by influential Chinese to form a gigan-
tic trading company with a capital
stock OF $l0,000.000. This company was
organized by the 70 guilds This big
corporation VIII place q line OF steam
ships on the Pacific run in order to
avoid the use of the Japanese vessels.
Boat service will also be instituted
along the Chinese coast and up the
rivers into the interior.
TO CONTROL TRADE
By this means the Chinese expect to
gain control of the avenues of trade
which are now under the domination
of the Japanese. After this shall have
been accomplished, it is the intention
of thee Chinese leaders to supplant the
factories of Nippon with plants of their
own. The plan is to manufacture
within the confines of the Celestial en-
pire those articles which are now i'm
ported from the island kingdom.
Not only have the merchants united
in the movement against the Japanese.
but the women, for the first time in
the history of the orient, have formed
associations in order to assist the men.
They are carrying on widespread
propaganda in the Kwang Tung
province.
So determined are the merchants to
force Japan to recognize the rights of
| China that they have formed the Ma
tional Disgrace Association. Every
member is pledged to break Off its
| trade relations with the business es-
adjustments of the Mikados realm.
The rules of the organization are en-
forced with a strictness that admits
| Of no disobedience. Any member who
violates the agreement is liable to a
| fine of 5000.
| The effect of this campaign is no.
| ticeable In the shipments arriving 6
from the orient in Japanese bottoms.
Formerly the Chinese received their
| goods on the Japanese liners, but
these vessels now bring but little Of
the imports consigned to the Chinese.
| When no other boats are available the
| goods are held In the orient until some
steamship company without Japanese
| affiliations is prepared to transport
| them.
NATIONAL CAMPAIGN
| The movement has already reached
the proportions of national campaig gn
| in Australia and the Straits Settle
! ments, Japanese trade in those places
has suffered to the extent OF more than
| 81 ,000 000
Large committees are at work in the
trade centers of China preparing thou
sands of personal letters which are
| addressed to the Chinese importers in
| every part of the world These letters
contain patriotic appeal and state
that the time has arrived when China
must assert itself and secure its rights.
| Although vigorous measures have
been instituted by the cabinet members
in Tokyo to stamp out the boycott.
| they have had little deterrent effect
| upon the movement Appeals have been
made by Japan to the British inter-
ests, but 1t is stated that England and
| Germany are secretly in sympathy
| with the Chinese. This condition has
arisen by reason Of the fact that the
brown men have cut heavily into both
the British and the German trade.
In many cases the Chinese have
Withdrawn their purchasing agents
| from the commercial centers of japan
and have wound up their business with
the men of Nippon. The movement is
| in no shape directed by the consti-
| tuted authorities of the Flowery King
dom. but has sprung Independently
from the people.