New-York tribune., 1920-09-25
Japan Declared
To Have Lost Its
Lead ON Pacific
Shipping Facilities Under
American Flag Said To BE
Adequate; Chinese Trade
Stimulated as a Result

Adeqt1aGes Gh1nese Trade
Stimulated as a Result
Reports from the Pacific Coast that
American shipping accommodations are
inadequate for the trade with the ORR
ent are contradictory in an article on
conditions in the Pacific published in
Millard's Review of the Far East.
Japan. it is declared, can no longer
claim the supremacy of the Pacific.
American business in the Far East,
according ITO the article, is no LONGER
hampered by lack of shipping facili
ties under the American flag, what
ever its other difficulties may be.
with provisions of the Jones
bill almost assured and with Amer
lean business taking a new lease on
life in China" it is stated, at is prac-
ucally safe to make the assertion that
the presen. Pacific feet of the United
States merchant marine is in these
waters to stay and that the coming
years will see not a decrease but an
increase in the fleets
Ihe only want in the Pacific at the
present time which is not being filled
oy American vessels is that of an ade-
quate passenger service. This is at
the present time largely in the hands
OF the Japanese lines and Of the Cana
dian PACIFIC Line, line under British
registry. However, this want has been
giverY the attention needed by the Shin
ping board, and definite announcements
nave been made of the Inauguration of
q trans-Pacltc passenger service from
Seattle to Japan, China and Manila by
the Pacific Steamship Company and
an augmented service of FIVE vessels
from San Francisco by the Pacific Mail
steamship Company. The Admiral Line
Will also have five vessels. These YES
the Shipping Board, carrying ESQ pas
sengers, first class, and having large
steerage accommo dations.
e, -" hen the completed lines of the
Shipping Board, as projected, are
realized there will be ffty-one com
blned passenger and freight boats on
the Pacific, SO that nothing will be
lacking in SO far as the Anne ricaniza-
ton Of the shipping Of the United
States is concerned
Making allowance for ships Of oc-
casional call. the estimated number of
vessels, privately owned or operated
for the account of the United States
Shipping Board, on June i, 1920,
totaled approximately 200 on the trans
Pacific run touching China ports. Com
pare this with no vessels under the
American flag in 1915 and five passen-
ger and cargo boats and two freight
vessels under the American flag in
1911, keeping in mind that this de-
velopment has practically all come
since the 1st Of June, 1918.
"Durlnp the month oP Nav 1oon
records for the port of Shanghai,
showing total of 124 oceangoing yes
sells entered and cleared, gave the ap-
portlonment as follows: American, 49;
British, 45; japanese, 10; Norwegian
Dutch, Russian and Italian, 3.
he coming into the Pacific of the
increased number Of An ercan ocean
gong carriers has also had its effect
upon American trade with China, which
cent of the whole foreign commerce
Of the nation and in 1919 stood at 1875
per cent, with grand total OF 1,227,-
8o6,792 Haikwan taels (the Haikwan
tael being reckoned at s1.359 American
currency.
With the further development dur
ing the present year there will also
occur an appreciate increase over
these figures, since American business
"1ii no lohger De hampered with trans
portatlon problems, discriminating
methods. excessive rates or the holding
up or damaging Of goods in Japanese
ports of transshipment.
There are sixteen American steam
snip lines operating cargo and pas
senger vessels between the ports of
China and the Pacific and Atlantic
ports of the United States the return
or the Atlantic service again savoring
al hn Io1- - %1o y.
sells. These are the Pacific Mail
Steamship Company, the Robert Dollar
Company, the Pacific Steamship Com
pany, the Columbia Pacific Navigation
Company, Struthers & Dixon, the Cos
mopolitan Shipping Company, the Green
Star Line, the China Mail Steamship
Company, the Barber Lines, Frank
Waterhouse & Co.. the International
Mercantile Marine, the Isthmian Line ;.
pany, the Los Angeles Pacific Naviga-
ton Company, William Katz and the
China Coast Transportation Company.
I'm addition to the companies named,
other concerns having less fixed routes
also touch the coast of China and other
Far Eastern ports.
This development has come since
the first of January, 1919, and for the
greater part during the latter part OF
1920. One OF the most striking
developments during the earlier part
OF 1920 has been that of the establish
ment Of a coastwise feeder service
with vessels of the Lake type of the
Shipping Board between China ports
and ports Of Japan. the Straits Settle
ments and India, there now being
twelve such vessels in operation, four
by the Robert Dollar Company and
eight by the Pacific Mail Steamship
Company, concentrating cargo at Hong
Kong.
"The decrease from 90 per cent
down in the shipping from the Orient
to the United States formerly enjoyed
by Japanese lines can already be traced
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