Mr. W. 8. McLeod, Chairman of the Manila Chamber of Commerce, gives the following reasons for the' crisis.
(1) The whole large German mercantile fleet is at present either captured or interned in neutral ports. While a few of the captured vessels have already been made available by the allied governments for mercantile purposes, these boats are being used by the Allies themselves for transport purposes.
(2) The allied governments have requisitioned a large proportion of the better class of mercantile tonnage for war purposes.
(3) For some four or five months some of the main French and British ports have been closed to commercial work and the remaining ports have been unable to handle the enormous amounts of produce and foodstuffs. which have been poured into them. This has caused delay of as much as two months in the discharge of the steamers and has prevented them from being able to get back to producing countries to load new cargoes.
(4) The causes above stated have led to the comparatively small number of neutral vessels being chartered at high rates to go on long trips to Europe and have thereby cleared the Orient of vessels it depended upon for the shorter- trades. The usual supply of Japanese steamers which could formerly be called on in case of stringency is finding profitable employment partly in those Jong charters, and partly in their own special work.
(5) The regular lines of steamers running from the Orient to Europe and to both sides of America must give attention to all their customers in all ports; thus, the total of the #mall amount of space they are able to supply must be divided on pro rata terms to every oriental port and thie moans that the allotment given to the Philippine Islands is very small. During the sugar season in former years, the Atlantic conference has been in the habit of chartering a number of outside vessels to supplement its own fleets; but for the causes above stated this conference is finding it impossible to charter those outside_ vessels.
It will thus be seen that the situation is grave in the extreme and unless the President of the United States exercises his great authority and 80 comes to the rescue of the islands, we are likely to encounter the greatest commercial tragedy the Philippines have ever known. The merchants, however, are hopeful for the best; as although the tension is exceedingly acute, they believe that President Wilson will yield to Governor-General Harrison's urgent request.
Hindu Plotters in Manila.
There is but little doubt that in the Philippine Islands, Manila in
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.