29th August, We remarked yesterday morning, in considering Japan's claim for an indemnity from Russia, that a number of pressing public works had had to be postponed by the Japanese Government, because her resources) had to be devoted as far as possible to the war, and if her war expenses were not refunded her, she would be very seriously crippled financially for some time, Among the public works that must be undertaken as.soon as the country is at peace, is the improvement of Japan's harbours. Though Japan is essentially a maritime country, she has not, according to the "Nichi Nichi Shimbun" as translated by the "Japan Daily. Mail," a single good commercial harbour. Taking the ports at' which the steamers between Shanghai" and Yokohama regularly call, Nagasaki! has a very pretty landlocked harbour, but it is a very small one, and there is no possibility of enlarging it. Shimonoseki and'Moji are on either side of a strait, and these so-called harbours are traversed by very strong currents, so that accidents in them are frequent. Kobe is very much exposed to winds from the sea, it is more a roadstead than a harbour, and it is often difficult to land and ship cargo afd passengers there, To a great extent Kobe is the port of Osaka, and Osaka' is very anxious to do its own shipping business, although at present it is only fre-quanted by comparatively small vessels, Great efforts have been made and are being. made. to-prove the: harbour of-Osaka,..To the, cost of these improvementa, the State. has contributed five million yen and the city of Osaka fifteen mil but a further: expenditure of, ten;. millions will be required, and the enterprise is only half-way. towards. completion. Such a large proportion: of the imports into Kobe is, destined. for Osaka, that there will be a great. saving when ocean steamers can.go, to Osaka to discharge and load,-and by that time there. will. still be, doubtless business enough left fo Kobe, which is in a very good posi: tion as regards. the trade, with the eastern portion of the Inland Sea, Attempts have been made to improve the shallow harbour of Yokohama, and to make it safer by the construc. tion of breakwaters, but it.has not kept pace. with the growth in the. size of ocean steamers, and ib. will be remembered that a special berth had to be dredged recently for the. Minnesota, As to the pier ab Yoko., hama, it is common talk that it ig" only kept up in the hope that some steamer made fash alongside i will carry it away in a typhoon, and have to pay for its rebuilding. At 'Tokio, the capital of Japan, the harbour is so bad that no' ocean steamers go beyond Yokohama. For twenty yars the construction of a suitable arbour and approaches there hss been mooted, but practically nothing, hus been done, and when it will be begun nobody knows. Even the expenditure of a paltry sui of two million yen on dredging the. approaches to the Sumida river seems to be counted a serious undertaking, says the " Nichi Nichi," which adds "Ibis a poor state of affairs when we remember. that Japan is: maritime country... When peace will: be restored no one can tell, but. when it is restored trade will certainly receive a great impetus, and this question of harbours will become more pressing than ever."
It is the extraordinary: development of the Japanese mercantile marine in recent years that is making this harbour question such a pressing. one, Ten years ago the total number of vessels registered in Japan "was 528 steamers of 331,000: tons, and 178 sailers of 29,000 tons, or a total of 701 ships and 360,000: tons.' But the latest statistics show that the steamers have increased to 1,309, representing 882,000 tons, and the sailing ships to 3,564, representing 323,000 tons, or a -total- of 4,878 vessels and 1,205,000 tons. In -ten years there has' been more than three-fold increase. At the came time, the country's foreign' trade having developed largely, there has. been a corresponding growth of fore eign vessels entering Japanese-ports, Tu' 1895 the number- of'such vessels was 1,142 and their tonnage 2,210,000 tone, but in 1904 the correspon
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.