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438 changes and the general contraction of available tonnage is a matter of considerable uncertainty, though all shipping experts declare that a marked advance in rates is, inevitable and im- perative, and the only question is as to how marked the advance will be and what ultimate level will be reached,” says George E. Anderson, American consul general at Hong- kong. “The latest seal announcement in this connection is that of the Osaka ' Shosen Kaisha a6 {0 @u advance in freights on American products shipped from Tacoma and Puget sound ports to the orient. This advance on Amer- ican produce in some respects is sig- nificant. The rate announced is one sof $0.00 gold on flour. and wheat to japan and $6.gold on the same commodities to Manila and Hong- kong. The rate on lumber is to be $9 to Japan and $11 to Hongkong and Manila per 1,000 board feet. The taht Beara fy _ before THE MARINE REVIEW rate on dried fish is to be $6.50 to Japan and $7.50 to Hongkong and Manila, per measured ton. These rates are well toward twice the rates obtaining on the same commodities the opening of the war in Europe. “The chief significance of the rates,” adds Mr. Anderson, “lies in the fact that it is on American freight out- ward rather than on Japanese‘ freight homeward that the advance is made. The fact Of the matter 1s that ad- vances on Japanese freight homeward are probably to be comparatively few and of slight moment. Heretofore in all advances of rates by the conference lines the Japanese government, con- trolling the Japanese lines by the sub- sidy paid them for their services, has prevented marked advance in home- ward rates on freight in which Japan was interested. This policy is un- doubtedly to be followed in the com- ing readjustment. In other words, December, 1915 Japanese interests, through the sub- sidies paid théir lines, are to control rates for the benefit: of Japanese trade. ok | x N INTERESTING ceremony re- cently held at San Francisco was the breaking out of the new China Mail Steamship Co.’s house flag on the main truck of the liner CHINA, which is one of the infant line’s first ships. The emblem was christened by the breaking of a bottle of California wine over its folds by Miss Rosa Lew Hing, daughter of the vice president of thé Canton bank, San Francisco, and an official of the China Steam- ship Co. CHINA sailed soon afterward for Hongkong, inaugurating the line’s service between San Francisco and the orient. This ship was a former member of the. defunct. Pacific Mail. Steamship Co., and was recently transferred from American to Chinese registry. U.S. Coastwise Trade is Flourishing HETHER there is any sort : W of inverse relation between a the development of the United States’ coastwise. merchant marine and its transatlantic and trans- pacific commerce, is a problem not yet deciphered by the scientists; but to. an onlooker, such would seem to be’ the. case. -While the American flag in the past few years has be- come a curiosity in foreign ports, it continues to flourish in coastwise traf- fic, in which some protection is as- sured American merchants. During the past few weeks several new lines have been founded and many others augmented by purchases, transfers or contracts for ships. One of the most noteworthy maritime happenings re- cently was the incorporation by Amer- ican and English interests of the Southern Cross Line, to operate be- tween New York and South Atlantic ports under the American flag, The service later will be enlarged to. in clude gulf and South American ports. The organization has a capital aac of $3,000,000. It will be under the supervision of Bowring & Co., one of the oldest shipping agencies in New York, which represent large. English interests. New York, Charleston, Jacksonville and New Orleans capitalists are associated with the latter. Contracts will soon be placed for the construction of four freight steamers of 4,000 tons. The Cramp ship building company has contracted to build two ships for the Atlantic, Gulf & West Indies Steam- ship Co. Two ships are under con- struction on the Pacific coast for. this line, besides three new vessels on the Atlantic seaboard. The two new ships to be built in Philadelphia will bene the total up to seven. The Great Northern. Pacific Seca ship Co. will inaugurate a new steamer service from San Francisco ‘to. the Hawaiian Islands, the steamer GREAT NortHern- leaving San Pedro on: -Nov. 26 for Hilo, Honolulu and return to San Francisco.. The steamer is. ex- pected,to make Honolulu in four days and a_ half;..,connecting - there . with transpacific lines. to the, orient. The line will maintain a regular 20-day schedule between Los’ Angeles, Hilo, Honolulu and San Francisco. The Southern Pacific Steamship Co. is having two large steamers built at the Newport News ship yard for coastwise trade between New York and gulf ports of the United States. The steamer CHALMETTE was _ recently transferred from the New Orleans- Havana service to the Galveston trade. “We need ships for the growing business of New Orleans and- Gal- veston and other gulf ports,” declares C. W. Jungen, manager of the..com- pany’s Atlantic lines, “and ..we = will have two great additions to our freight feet just as- soon as. the ship. yard can produce them. These two new such great York..and Porto. Rico New York- . vessels will be larger than any of the freighters now in our service.” The Southern Pacific now has a consid- erable freight fleet plying between New York and gulf ports, but its coastwise freight business has shown gains in the past few months that the company also has chartered six vessels for its north- bound service from Galveston. Mart- ANA and CorozAL, owned by the New line: YAGUEZ, owned by the Ward line, but for- merly. operated by. the Bull Insular line, and Tatiac, WILHELMINA. and Henry T. Scorr, which plied in the Panama canal coastwise trade, are the six which have been chartered. The two New York and Porto Rico boats and the Ward liner have a capacity of about 4,000 tons each, while the canal steamers have an average capacity of 2,800 to 3,000 tons. The Southern Pacific is also negotiating for additional steamers to facilitate eastbound traffic from Pacific ports by way of Gal- weston. The company will have 18 steamships in the northbound service out of Galveston in the near future. The banana trade between Central American ports and the United King- dom having come: practically to a standstill, the United Fruit Co. has taken over for operation to and from American ports five steamers of the Elder-Fyfe fleet, formerly plying be- tween Central America and the United Kingdom, which will thus be diverted