Honolulu star-bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1912-2010, 1915-08-03
PACIFIC MAIL
And I. K. X. MAY
JOIN FORCES
Visit of Soichiro Asana, Presi-
dent of japanese Line, to the
States Looks Like Business
LA TOILETTE BILL BIG
BLOW TO y. S. SHIPPING
Capitalist From Orient Says at.
San Francisco That War is
Commercially Impossible

Cablegfams from the Orient to San
Francisco. received on July % cOinci-
dentally with the arrival there OF Sol.
ichiro Asano. president of the Togo
Kisen Kaisha, second largest OF the
steamship companies of Japan,
strengthened well defined rumor to
fthe effect that this visit of the Japan.
ese captain OF industry is not merely
one OF pleasure or inspection, but is
the first definite step in a move to
combine his corporation with the Pa
/ cifie Mail steamship Company, ac.
cefding to the San Francisco Chron-
|icle. s
Already inner circles in the shipping
world have been stirred Ky the report
that the great Japanese navigation
company Is about to take over or com
Eine with the Pacific Mail Company,
and speculation has heen keen as to
what the details Of the transaction
may be.
In Toxic there seems to be no doubt
ia well-informed business circles that
srch an algamation Is the real pur-
pose of AsanC.s trip to San Francisco
at this time, but the dispatches from
Japan throw little light on what prog
ress has been made toward that end
Although Asan0 carefully refrained
from discussing the proposed deal on
his arrival at the coast. he admitted
that he did not think 1t likely the Pa
cific Mali would pass out Of existence.
Maintain joint Schedule.
sIt is doubtful, said President
Asano, "if the Pacific Mail will with.
draw entirely from the transpacific
service. Our company and the Mail
company have maintained joint
schedule for more than decade, and
our relations have always been pleas
ant
There is so Iplrh freight efferings.
both in California and in the Orient,
that all steamers are loaded to ca.
pacity.
''It would be heavy blow to Am
erican shipping IL the La Toilette
seamen,s act became effective"
Asked his opinions OF the relations
between Japan and the United States,
President Asano said Il am sorry:
there has been talk of war between
Japan and the. Uuited States, for such
talk is silly. The two countries are
closely related commercially. We de.
pend to great extent son the United.
States for raw cotton. petroleum iron.
and steel, and export, of course, silk,
tea and curios.
"War ID Impossible"
From o commercial standpoint
war is impossible. Our cotton Inn.
ports from this country this year are
double what they were q year ago.
Ii is important that any misnnder-
standing between, the two countries
be wiped out" 8
President Asano said he thought
Hawaii had profIted greatly by the
of Japanese labor on
lands that were not before cultivated.
He showed that the output Of sugar
from the islands In the last is years
had Increased tenfold.
He suggested that with Japanese in
California on the lands not now cult
tated, the growth Of California pro-
ducts would possibly increase in the
same ratio as they had in Hawaifs
The venerable head of the T.. K. K.
has had q spectacular career. He
began life as q coal sweeper and has
risen 10 the presidency of one of the
largest steamship companies of the
world.
With his wife and two daughters,
continued on page twc)