Evening journal., 1921-06-08
BY William PHILIP sTNfNfs

in the Orient especially for readers
Of The Evening Journal.
BY WILLIAM PHILIP SIAfds
Written Expressly for the N. e. A.
HANKOW, China-America is
playing second fiddle in this part Of
the world. There is no Disgusting
the fact. And as long as rampant
disorder grips China, as IL does now,
there is little prospect OF her ever
playing anything else unless il is 20
go still further down the line and
play the ineffective, but tinkling
tymbal.
So business men hereabouts opine
The Yangtze River taps the heart
OF China, the richest part OF the
country. Hankow is the outlet and
the gateway at one and the same
time. So 1 inquired of the port au-
thorities for figures TO check up a
bit on what 1 had heard.
The statistics they furnished
would seem to bear out what Ameri-
cans had told me. And Hankow
statistics carry Significance.
U. S. Trailing.
During last year. of ST. ocean-go-
ing vessels calling at Hankow. 375
were Japanese, 1876 British, SO Amer
lean, 20 Chinese and French.
OF the river steamers, 1920 were
under the British flag, 1905 under
the Japanese, $50 under the Chinese
and 473 under the American.
In the order of tonnage the line
up of the sea-going vessels was like
this: Japanese, 464, Gas tons: British.
243,590; American, 1858; Chinese,
20, asa; French, 9,2SS.
The tonnage OF the river steamers
clearing Hankow follows:
British, 2,320,021 tons; japanese.
1,S76,S24; Chinese, 1.131.533; Amer
lean, 123,9S4. More than IS Brit
ish tons for every one American).
Here is the sailing vessel tonnage.
Chinese, 571 ships totaling S7.O19
tons; British, 347 ships aggregating
70,S77 tons; japanese. 121 ships, or
S7,20S tons. and American. ships,
or 696 tons.
America Fourth.
Barges play an important role in
all river traffic, i'm the Yangtze as in
every other. So asked for the tug
statistics with the tonnage OF their
tows. Here is what the port ohici-
ais gave me;
Chinese towing craft. 2479; ton
mage in tow, 116,3S6 tons. British,
1861 craft. towing 234.6S4 tons.
Japanese, us craft with 114,2O2
tons in tow. and 90 American craft
towing 5231 tons.
1t will be seen that Great Britain
really occupies first place in this
category OF river shipping because
while the Chinese have considerably
more towing vessels on the river
they are much smaller than the
British, whose towed tonnage dou-
bled that of the Chinese.
The Hankow clearance figures
show America to be in fourth place
in grand total tonnage, Great Britain
being first. Japan second. China
third
Inland Sailors.
The total tonnage figures follow:
Great Britain 2,S69,172 tons. Japan
/ 1,992,3S2 tons. China 1871, ,SS4.
| United States 26O,529.
The Chinese, handicapped as they
are, and with but few vessels other
than junks and launches. thus got
away with a fair share OF the gross
shipping. They had S141 vessels OF
one sort OF another TO clear Hankow
during 1920 as against 4O64 British
vessels of all catergories, 1920 Jap
anese and GA American.
Inland water steamers-principa
ly canal and lake vessels-are main.
ly in the hands OF the Chinese them
selves. The Japanese make nC
effort to compete with anybody II
this field and such craft of this kind
as are under their flag are for theii
own private uses. The Chinese op.
crate 1876 touching at Hankow, az
against 15S British, 116 American
and Japanese.
Inland Empire.
Szechuan Province. up the river
| from Hankow, is called the "lnlanc
| Empire" because Of its vast popula'
| ton and the richness of its natura
resources. This province alone has
almost as many inhabitants as th'
United States and the population OF
the whole territory contiguous L
the Yangtze has been estimated az
pretty close to two hundred million
] MG 0ANNAANrN eAAAA - ANAEA -
fighting for import trade in this par
OF China ! looked into this. too
at the customs in Hankow, anS
found American business suffering.
Cotton goods-piece goods" the.
call them over here-rank frs
among China's imports and vii
probably continued first for a loni
time to come. All the natives wea
cotton clothes. some Of them 10 tn
exclusion Of all other kinds.
U. 5. Behind Again
Enormous quantities OF cotol
goods must be imported by Chin
, until cotton mills in China are d
operation. and it would seem that
: great cotton-producing country lik
! America would get much Of thi
trade.
Here are the customs figures fur
nished me in Hankow:
Gray sheeting: Chinese 24,0O
pieces; Japanese, $4,000; English
1900; American, 1900.
Gray shirting; Japanese. sT3. 90
E pieces; English, 10000; Chiness
= 2SOe; American, 1170.
Z Gray drills: Chinese. $4,000 pieces
japanese. $4,000; American. 122S
IEnGlish. LAO