'A "trip through the Gorges" is once more beginning to be placed fon the list of prospective holiday Journeys, by the more venturesome, and precarious as the undertaking may sound to most, several Shang-bhat people have booked for this wonderfully interesting passage.
Tnquiry at local shipping offices, however, points to the conclusion that, While there is nothing actively to prevent the trip being taken provided that one's interest out weighs anxiety, conditions on th: Upper Yangtze are in their usust state of flux.
At the present time there are 7! vessels on the upper-river run. These fly respectively, 15 British, 11 American, four Japanese, tw: German, four French, four Italiac. two Finnish, two Swedish and 26 Chinese flags, and a total tonnage of 19,000 is registered.
[As regards the flags seen on the way up to Chungking, the well-informed make a. distinction be tween the genuine and the expedi cent, and it is pointed out that with the' exception of the American, British, and N, K, K, (Japanese) the other ensigns have no sign! ficance as to the ship's real nationality. A recent development, also, is understood to be the withdrawal of the American flag from the Yangtze Rapid S. 8. Ca.
Of the Chinese shipping companies, represented by the 26 ships given above and other ships fying Various fags, the greater proper: tion are being backed by militar; shareholders to such an extent that anti-foreign boycott was the Inevitable result, 'The Sufferers' Association The organization sponsoring the anti-British boycott is known ay the Wehang-Wanhsien Navigation Administration, headed by a father~ indaw of Yang Sen whose hand is seen at all times in antiforeign factice, Yang Sen is assumed by those in touch with upriver ports to be at present in the vicinity between Chungking and Fuchau, ere he Is nursing a series of unsettled claims" against foreigners, and lending a kindly encour agement to civilian claims still prevailing as the result of the Wanhsien Affair. The latter is known ay the "Sufferers' Associa. tion," and refers to the civilians who sustained losses at the time fof the bombardment of Wanhsien, while Yang Sen has his own set of purely military grievances.
At the time of hurried departure from Wanhsien early in June, Yang Sen had just completed an agreement with the foreign off companies, the Asiatic Petroleum Ca. and the Standard Oil Ca., to allow the shipping of their by-products, tax free, providing a tax was paid on the gasoline passing through Wanhsien, The first cheque mailed by one of the compa jes concerned in payment of the tax prescribed by the agreement did not, however, reach the frist before his fight. the of company it question sensing that there was no longer a properl constituted authority in' Wanhsien, stopped payment on the draft as soon as the situation had been explained by wire, and Yang Sen received another impetus to his anti-foreign boycott.
Available facts point definitely towards a. feel ug on the part of Seechuan merchants to send cargo by the foreign lines apers ing on the upper river run.
Under the Yang Sen domination from Wan-these merchants found a certain percentage of thei cargo sent by Chinese ships con fi seated whenever they attempted send other cargo. by British ships. The outcome, therefore, wi the so-called boycott.
When Yang Sen left in June a considerable amount of the seized stocks was released, but the game id pot go entirely to the merchants most concerned, as Yang Sen way. able to lay hold of between $400,000 and $500,000 worth of yarn stocks, the seizure and the feared loss of which acts as the usual antidote to extensive use of foreign vessels by the merchants in the town at the present time Other shipping ills may be illustrated by: the seizure of a vessel flying the German flag for transportation of troops, the endeavour to land the military: with a minimum of trouble the ship was grounded by be taken too near the shore, a total loss being thereby: registered for the owners of the Up to the present time, Blessrs, Butterfield & Swire have had two winter boats and two summer boats running to Chungking. One of the former has now been sent to Shanghai for overhauling, leaving three on the run.
The water in the Gorges has net risen to its ust height as yet which is given as the reason for sheeping the so-called "winter"
ships going. Mesars. Jardine, Matheson & Ca. have had tone winter ship in service, and this now on its way to Shanghai for overhauling, and it ned that the winter ship will be replaced in the nei future by one with the required draft for the riting water of summer.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.