Wo are in receipt of the following communication To the Editor of the "Nonta-Caixa Datty News,"
Stn,—As a recent memorandum of the German shipping firms on the Huangpu Conservancy has in se 8 received criticisms, which in our lion were based on insufficient Knowledge of the facts, we to request your esteemed Paper to publish the following correspondence which might be of general interest.
Memorandum of the undersigned dated October 26, 1907.
(b) Mr. de Rijie's reply dated Docember 6, adteectee Oberbaurat Rollmann.
Report from Marine Hafen-
(a) Extract of a report from the Hamburg Wasserbandirektor Bubendey.
We are, ete., (Signed) Melchers & Ca., Hamburg-Amerika Linie (K. Oldoerp) Siemssen Ca., Carlowitz & Ca., Diederichsen, Jebsen & Ca, (Johann Jessen) Meyer Ca,, Sander, Wieler & Ca.
Bhanghai, February 27.
We the undersigned representing the largest German shipping interest in Shanghai respectfully beg to submit to the Imperial German Consulate-General the following The chart of the Huangpu River published of late by the Huangpu River Conservancy Board and the "Quarterly Reports" of this Board as well as recent soundings show that the Huangpu River during the last few years has continually improved, and this, indeed, to such sri extent that the so-called "Toner Bar" has almost disappeared and that there is to-day from the Arsenal to the mouth of the river a uniform depth of at least eighteen feet ed at lowest water level; in other words, the result which the work now commenced by the River Conservancy tries to achieve is already almost in existence.
Mr. de Rijke's scheme, as far as we know, intends to close up the present fairway—the so called " Ship (hannd"—and to open in place of it the Channel" which it present entirely silted up. If we now compare the opinion and inferences given by Mr. de Rijke in his earlier report with the findings given in the "Quarterly Reports" about the present state of the river there is, no doubt, reason for grave misgivings, viz. that by the execution of the present scheme the shipping on the Huangpu might possibly be endangered most seriously.
We beg to give some extracts from jjke's report and the " Quarterly Reports." shows that the surmises on which the scheme of 1898 was based have not been verified. Exactly the contrary of Mr. de Rijke's surmises has happened, viz., the depth of the Junk Channel" has not increased and the "Ship Channel" has not shallowed, but the depth of the "Ship Channel" has increased and the "Juok Channel" has entirely silted up. The scheme intended to make use of the Junk Channel" because it was believed that the natural tendency of the river would be to flow through the " Junk Channel." From the above comparison ral based solely on observations published by the River Conservancy Board itself it is obvious that exactly the contrary of what was generally expected has happened. The Huangpu in its present fairway from the Arsenal to the Yangtze has throughout a depth of at least eighteen feet at lowest water, the alow Bar" has given place to deep rater, the "Ship Channel" hole length has ito prov siderably, the Inner Bar gradually decreasing (and that since time when according to former statistics it ought to have. been in its worst state) but is to-day only a short narrowing of the deep fairway:
From the foregoing we can only draw the following conclusions, and the following questions must necessarily arise, (1) According to Mr. de Rijke's own words: "The forcing over of the main stream of @ river like this, without causing and without much interrupting gation is often found to be very difficult task, even when using numbers of men skilled in such work." The Kajow Bar." which should facilitate this "forcing over," has entirely disappeared, and there must now be a certain danger if it is tried. Is under these circumstances advisable to run such an incalculable and enormous isk? Or what security does Mr. de lat in the course seriously ba.pered or even interrupt-
(2) The expense of the "Ship Channel's" closing up under the present conditions will be—as admitted by the " Quarterly Reports "—much higher than at first estimated. There are at the dis twenty annual rates of Tls. 460,000 each. Will this amount k under all circumstances suffice for the complete execution of Mr. de Rijke's scheme (3) If these two questions cannot be answered with certainty might it not be taken into serious consideration to make use of the natural tendency of the river, choosing the present fairway (Ship Channel"), by improving and strengthening it?' It is quite ebrious that thereby the shipping can in no way be hampered and moreover the expenses will be considerably smaller.
the undersigned now respect-folly ssk the Imperial German Con-through the channels as will have the effect of eliciting from Mr. de Rijke an exhaustive answer to the above questions.
We would like to mention that our misgivings are shared by experts, In conclusion it seems absolutely necessary that until our questions are satisfactorily answered no work is to be commenced which might unfavourably influence the "Ship Channel fairway.
As this matter does not only concern the shipping, but is of vital importance to all Shanghai we have addressed the "Deuteche Vereinigung" and have requested the same to forward a tran~ station of our petition with the request of kind ce-operation to the Chamber of Commerce and all Shanghai Associa—tions interested in this question.
(Signed) Melchers & Ca., Hamburg-Amerika Linie (K. Oldoerp), Siemssen & Ca., Carlowitz & Ca., essen), Meyer & Ca., Sai The Imperial German Consulate-General Shangh:
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.