The patriot. [volume] (Indiana, Pa.) 1914-1955, 1915-09-03
JAPAN CAPTURING
FAR EAST TRADE
Her Merchant Marine Under
suits European Lines.
FREIGHT RATES ARE LOWER

Range of Activities Unlimited, and TIE
Japanese CT Today Are Excellent
Business Men-Texties Now Being
Manufactured on Large Scale and
Find Ready Markets.
The fact that japanese commercial
houses are taking very conceivable
advantage of conditions afforded them
as a result of the European war is be
coming increasingly apparent to the
general business community in the
east and rapidly causing grave alarm
to British manufacturing interests,
says Singapore correspondent Of the
New York Times.
For years previous to the outbreak
of hostilities they had endeavored.
with little success, to introduce their
goods into markets in which European
manufacturers specialized. Now that
British naval supremacy has eliminat.
ed German and Austrian trade from
the high seas, they have not been slow
in availing themselves of the excellent
opportunity thus offered to increase
their sphere of action and to establish
themselves firmly in the market for
commodities in which these competi
tors previously held practically u mo.
QQpQly.
Vast Strides Made
The Japanese are nothing if not up
to date. Japan today is not the Japan
of twenty-five years ago. Tokyo, Yoko-
hama and all the large towns are now
industrial centers in the true sense of
the word. There is no port in the east
In which her large companies, such as
the Mitsui Bussau KaiSha, do not pos
sess agencies. Moreover, she has
considerable and efficient mercantile
marine, fact which has meant much
| to japanese development and which
| constitutes an additional advantage at
the present time by enabling her to
! undercut European lines at the high
| freight rates now prevailing.
The range of Japan's commercial ac-
tivities appears to be unlimited. She
has even essayed to compete with such
an essentially British industry as tex
tiles. Cloths manufactured in Japanese
mills are now being marketed in Bonn
bay, Calcutta, Singapore, ETC., and are
finding ready sale owing to their low
price. Imports of Japanese beer into
India for the first quarter Of 1915 In
creased 5000 per cent over the similar
period Of the previous year. She al
ready has the monopoly of rubber latex
cups, Of which hundreds OF thousands
are used annually in Ceylon and the
Federated Malay States.
Commercial firms in the far east ad-
NIT openly that Japanese goods have
come to stay. However. it is to be
feared that their Introduction has not
been accomplished along strictly hon
est lines. Incidents have been brought
to light repeatedly during the last few
months of the imitation of various
| copyright trademarks, and shipments
of goods are almost universally inferi-
or to samples. A striking instance In
this connection is that of a certain
brand of cigarette papers manufac-
! tured In Austria and marketed under
! the name of ''RacehOrse Brand" These
! papers enjoyed an immense popularity
among the natives of the Malay PENN
sula. Java and India. who refused to
| purchase any other make. This, how
ever did not affect the dauntless Japa-
nese, for he promptly brought out pa
! pers having an identical makeup and
! identical trademark. correct in every
detail, even to the words "Made In
! Austria upon the label.