New-York tribune., 1919-04-13
ar Eastern Trade
Held Back by Lack
Shipping Shortage
W. C. Lane, Returning From
Tour, Says Opportunities
Are Unlimited if Trans
portaiion Is Provid G d

Americas participation in the devel-
opment of the vast business possibili-
ties latent in China and the Far East
generally depend upon ship tonnage.
Opportunities for American trade in
China are practically unlimited if ade
quate shipping facilities can be pro-
vided so that American merchants can
get their goods carried to the Far East
ern markets at rate that will com
pete with other ocean rates to that
part of the world, according to W. c.
Lane, vice president Of the Guaranty
Trust Company, who has just returned
to New York after q stay of six months
in China where he has been organiz-
ing branches for the Asia Banking Cor
poraton.
Ralph Dawson. assistant secretary of
the Guaranty Trust Company and a
e-prcsident of the Asia Banking Cor
poration, has remained in China to
complete the organization of the
branches in Peking, Tien-tsn, Chang
Office of the corporation in Shanghai
and the Hankow branch are already do
ing business.
The Big Problem
Tonnage is 70 per cent of the prob
fronting American merchants in Chi
nesc markets, and if the present diff
culties of portation are overcome
it will be very easy for the United
States to obtain the greater share of
the vast Chinese trade formerly held
by German interests. The other 25 per
cent of the problem is finance, and that
isn't really a problem any more.
"America is a word to conjure with
No u i,,l, hot
is no other country like ours. China
still stands amazed at the fact that we
returned the Boxer indemnity. This
proved that we were disintcrestedly
concerned with the welfare of China.
The Chinese look upon us not as dol
lar chasers,' but as the fairest- minded
people in the world. Nothing stands
higher in China and with the Chinese
than an Americans word or his pledge.
Prefer Americans
"American banking methods are also
a surprise to the Chinese There are
many foreign banks in China, and most
of them have been very successful, but
the Chinese merchant prefers to do
business with Americans and American
institutions. have no hesitancy in
saying, therefore, that on the whole
the opportunities for American trade
in China are very good, indeed. The
Germans used to do a vast business in
China but they are out of the running
now and will be for some time, at least
A large share Of their former business
should now come to us-if we can get
the ships to carry the goods in com
petition with the ships OF other coun-
tries.
During the war Japan was the only
country which had ships to spare for
its Chinese trade, and of course those
ships worked almost exclusively for
Japan. What space remained was
open to any Que, but all during the
war the ships that came in to Chinese
harbors were almost entirely Jap
ancse, and naturally they carried Jap
anese goods and there seldom was
any space left after Japan's require
ments were met. This situation has
changed somewhat since the armis-
tice was signed. When I left few
British and American ships were be-
ginning to make their appearance. But
tonnage is still rs per cent of the
problem. If our government will sup
ply ships that will carry goods at rates
which will make competition possible,
the present opportunities for American
fr,IHn ra lu,Cst hCr1rNlCcc