The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-12-02

New York Journal of Commerce:
The Germans have shown from the
beginning of the enterprise an acute
perception of the benefits which thelr
trade might derive from the Panama
canal. It was therefore hardly a sur
prise to learn that orders had been
placed by three of the leading German
companies for new vessels designed
particularly for service by way OF
Panama: that there had been large
increases of stock by the same compa-
MES to further the same purpose, anu
that the four big lines now runn1ng TO
the Orient, Australasia and the Facillc
coasts of North and South america
would be diverted to pass through the
canal as soon as 1t is opened to com
merce. Before any. action was ever
taken on the part of a single British
steamship a body OF direct
ors of the North German Lloyd pro-
ceeded to Panama and San Francisco
there to study the possibilities OF es-
tablishinp a direct steamship service
between. Bremen and the Pacific coast.
It was announced later that a new n
service had been resolved
upon which would link up h ports OF
the Fatherland by way OF CherpouEs
and Southampton with the new "a
cifc trade, : It appears also that sthe
1lans Of the Hamburg-American Co.
include fine from New York to VAL
paraiso via the canal, for when at
least one 16,500-ton steamer was con-
tracted for some time ago. a new
service, from China and japan to hon
olulu. Portland, Seattle and San iran
cisco has been instituted III view OF
the expected boom on n pacllc
coast. Three of the smaller Harnours-
American companies are, moreover,
equipping themselves to get thelr
share of the expected new BUSINESS
The German -Australlan n the Gos,
mos lines have decided to estaolisil d
Joint service to Honolulu which VIII De
routed through the canal as o as
it is finished, and the South American
shipping company a increased It's
c~apacity so as to enable it TO puilo
two large triple-screW steamers.
The Japanese have also shown llveiy.
interest in the commercial posslplii"
ties presented by the opening or the
canal. Early in the year It was an
that the three great Japanese
.gfeamship companies were to effect q
combination under which they Wou
run a joint direct service between
Japan and New York by way OF the
Panama canal. But the execution OF
this plan seemed to have been defer
red for reasons given by the special
traffic agent OF the Nippon YusenS kal-
sha. The first requisite for maintain
Ing a regular service probably is good
e both ways. But this is not
yet assured in the Pacific trade, ana
there lis an additional obstacle OF the
instability of rates. Another thing
which the cautious japanese keep In
mind is that in direct communication
between New York and the Orient py
wav Of the Panama canal there Is no
new trade to be utilized at once. ANY
trade that passes along the new route
will be merely q diversion from the
existing routes by the Pacific coast
ports and the transcontinentai rail-
roads OF by way of Suez. South OF
Hongkong there Is no marked adyan-
tage over the Suez route except IN the
case Of New Zealand. And even north
of Hongkong the Japan and Seattle
ocean route will still be the shortest
ana the railroads may reduce thefy.