New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1917-07-09
Japanese Opposed to Leaning
Ships to y. S. for Transports
Toxic Government Negotiating for Transfer in Return for
Which She Would Receive Steel for Construction
Purposes, but People Are Bitter Against Proposal


be true, it will take the United States
just four months 70 build what it took
Japan twenty years 10 build.
Another reason why Japan opposes
parting with her ships at this time is,
to put it bluntly, frankly and in the
only way il should be put, because
she can not see any sense in it. Let
US see just how much Japanese ton
mage can be shifted to the Atlantic
service. At the close OF last year
Japan had 447 steamers, of over 1000
tons, with the total gross tonnage of
! ,420077, according to the figures of
the Department of Communications of
Japan. OF this number there were
only six ships above 10000 tons
Now, the ships which would be likely
to be transferred for the Atlantic SER
vice would be those Of 1900 tons or
over OF this class Japan had 1S2
vessels of the combined tonnage OF
S99 1899. The cream of this tonnage
belongs to the subsidized companies,
so the japanese government has the
power of communicating say 100000
to 100000 tons under war conditions.
This amount of shipping can comfort
ably carry $4,000 men, or a full-slze
army corps, with all its equipment,
from the United States to France every
month.
Would Mean Pacific Lull
Now Just what does the shifting OF
this japanese shipping from the Pa
cifc to the Atlantic spell TO the trans
portation conditions of the PACING
Four hundred thousand tons OF ships
mean more than two and half times
the japanese shipping on the Pacitic
service at the present time. IL means
the practical abandonment of the prln-
cipal American and European services
by the japanese lines.
But why not replace them with the
tramp ships of the non-subsidlzed or
Outside" companies? That can be
done, certainly, and that will be the
only thing that will be done, as a mat
ter of fact, and with the following re-
suit: The magnificent fleet of the Togo
Kisen Kaisha makes the Yokohama
San Francisco run, via Honolulu, IN
fifteen to sixteen days. An outside"
tramp would be lucky in making it in
twenty-four days. The same sort of
condition would apply TO the Yoko-
hama-Puget Sound service of the
Osaka Shosen and the Nippon fusen.
II will mean also decided curtail-
ment of the Vladivostok and American
ports service. 1t spells the utter de-
rangement of the American-Japanese
trade.
Japan's big dock yards at Osaka,
Mitsubishi, Kawasaki and Asano, would
be helpless without the steel plates
and other construction materials which
only the ships will bring to them.
poox~yo C.u IL EnIIv
The people of Japan are not con-
WINGED of the wisdom of the transfer.
They are, on the other hand, profound
" convinced of the economic folly OF
the thing. A number of Japanese
traders engaged in miscellaneous goods
trade organized themselves into an as
ISOLATION for no other end than to OBJ
tain additional shipping facilities on
the Pacific. At its May meeting the
association drew UP resolutions calling
for a vigorous pressure upon the Jap
anese government to prohibit the sale
of ships to foreigners, TO suspend even
the China and Honk Kong services that
the ships might be devoted to the
American service. The association de-
clares that the Japanese merchants
through their costly trade campaigns,
through their patient toll and persist
ence, have at last succeeded in extend
ing their business and in securing
orders from their American customers.
But the goods failed to come from
Japan to fill the oraers-due entirely
to the scarcity of bottoms.
If the japanese government could
put this on the basis of fulfilling the
sacred treaty obligations to the Allies,
the popular opposition to the transfer
of ships would melt instantly. The
government will have a rather difficult
job on hand TO do that, however.
"Not Under Obligation"
Mr.. Miyake. the editor of the "Nip-
pom oyobi Nippon in," who is often
spoken of as the brainiest editorial
writer in Japan, comments on the plan
in the June | issue OF his magazines:
ave are given to understand the ques-
ton of utilizing the Japanese ships for
the transport of the American army
and supplies to Europe has been
mooted. Since we have declared war
against Germany, our policy has been
TO act in concert with the Allies in
economic affairs, as well in other ways.
At this stage it is therefore impossible
TO define such q request entirely, but
it is a theme which calls for thorough
and mature consideration. II is the
next thing TO sending our army to Eu-
rope. Our country is under no such
obligation; 1t is not one of our duties.
OF course, there is no profit in it for
our country. The activity Of our navy
in the Mediterranean which has been
reported Of late is also entirely outside
OF our treaty obligations. II is not
we'll for our country to ride too far to
others spurring"
But is not the American friendship
worth all this sacrifice on the part of
Japan? Isn't it well worth the price !?
The writer is one Of those who is thor
oughly convinced that it is.