The farmer and mechanic., 1915-09-21
MORE SHIPS ARE NEEDED
G, P, Forster, of Shanghai,
Says Tariff and Panama
Canal Are Big Factors in
Growing BUSINESS Banks
Filled With Money Awaiting
Profitable investment
New York Times.

New York Times.
Chinese exports of wool and hides to
the United States have tremendously
increased since the beginning of the
war, according to c.. ?. Forster or
Shanghai, member of one of the Big
sest trading houses in the Far East,
who arrived at the Wolcott yester-
day. Mr.. Forster came from Shang-
hal by way of the Trans-Siberian Rail-
way, made a short stop in England
and is on his way back via San Fran
cisco.
China has been having a consider
able boom in its export trade since
the beginning of the war. especially
in wool and hides" said Mr.. Forester.
The hides come here to furnish ma
terial for enormous boot contracts that
AmriCan manufacturers are filling for
the European armies. Most of the
production of the two commodities
mentioned comes to the United States
in fact, all of the Chinese wool is
sold here. Naturally the removal of
the tariff from wool has been largely
responsible for the growth.
''In fact trade between China and
the United States is growing i'm
mensely. Why, in Shanghai one sees
any number of American automobiles
and, mind you, these are not princi-
pally Of the cheaper makes, either
Such a tremendous volume has the
transPacifc trade come to assume
that even last winter we were very
seriously handicapped by the lack OF
ships. Now that the Pacific Mail ha.
been taken from the ocean / do no
know what shippers are going to do.
Eyes, the Panama Canal has had {
big effect upon trade between China
and the eastern coast of the United
States. The fact of having direct serv
ice from Shanghai to New York is {
big factor in this growth Of commerce
between the two countries.
you know the withdrawal of tn
Pacific Mail steamships from tn
trans-Pacific service makes it rathe
inconvenient for the Germans VIII
live in Shanghai. 1t PRACTICAL
maroons them there. Only the Japa
nese ships now ply from Shanghai t
not welcome on board one of then
Perhaps a stray Norwegian tram
leaves, but the Teuton who embark
in her on a chance of getting hom
must run the gauntlet Of Gibralta
where the probabilities are that h
Will be taken off.
"In our international colony we gt
there until the Lusitania affair. w
then eX PEELED the Germans from OF
clubs. Recently they tried sowir
scdition among the Sikh policeme
who do most Of the patrolling wo1
in the colony, but their efforts can
to naught. You know, owing to OF
form Of government, the @tuafiC
there is curious, and If q British
knocks down a German, the latt
cannot have him arrested His on
recourse is to strike back.
"Of course, we have been mut
stirred by the war. The feeling m;
be judged by the fact that out Of t
5000 English people resident there V
sent between 800 and 400 as voluntee
10 the front. | myself volunteered, b
they wouldn't have me, although h;
been volunteer in the South Afric:
war. l once had enteric fever, a.
the medical men turned me doy
after an examination.
THE banks in Shanghai are fill
with money that has no avenue Of /
vestment. OF course 1t is silver,
we have no gold cut there
Coming across Asia via the Trar
siberian, 1 saw little evidence alo
the way that war was on, for we ma
the trip from Harbin to Petrograd
eight days. the regular time. VIII
there was practically nothing at t
stations In Siberia to indicate w
they are taking great precautions
the line OF the road and on the trai
to guard against bombs. Just beft
We reached a bridge the train wol
stop and soldiers with fixed bayon
would pass through and the passt
gers would have to sit quietly in tn
seats with doors open and windo
closed until we got to the other 81
You see, the bridges over there
would tie up transportation for ma
days. After we had passed the Z