The Trade War—A Breach of the Treaty—No Mining Material For France—But Plenty for China—
The Activities of Herr Kocher The post-war perfidy of the Germans has now become so much an accepted fact that to labour the point further seems more than useless. Yet, because-it is of extreme importance to the allied community in the Far East, this opportunity is taken of exposing another example of Teutonic chicanery which is depriving France of rights under the Peace Treaty and is enabling the German to undersell the Allies in the Chinese markets for machinery.
It has been known for some time past that attempts have been made to sell machinery for coal mines in China, and we are now in a position to state that a contract has been signed by German industrialists for the supply of machinery necessary for the exploitation of a coal mine near Hangchow. A German engineer named Kocher is in charge of the work.
One of the terms of the Treaty of Versailles was that Germany should supply machinery for the purpose of restoring to pre-war activity the mines of northern France wantonly ruined during the German invasion. French engineers, in charge of this work have been held up for lack of machinery which Germany, by signing the treaty, bound herself to provide, and the explanation given of this failure is that the Germans are unable to manufacture it. At the same time their emissaries are telling the Chinese: "Order whatever you wish: we will supply you and at better terms than either the English or Americans can give.""
Activiries or Herr Kocuer.
Inquiries which we have made enable us to state with considerable exactitude what machinery is being supplied to Chinese through the agency of Herr Kocher. As a preface it should be stated that Herr Kocher, a former pupil of a Hochschule in Berlin, was in the service of Siemens & Ca. in Shanghai before the war, and has recently been nominated director-general of the same firm for the whole of China. Honorary secretary of the Club Concordia, he was, during the war, one of the most active German propaganda agents, and, thanks to the influence of certain Chinese, he was not repatriated with his fellows.
In addition to his position with Siemens & Ca., Herr Kocher is consulting engineer to a Chinese company, organized by Gen. Lu Yung-hsiang for (1) the exploitation of coal mines at Hangchow (on which work has not yet been begun), mines which promise to give exceedingly good results; (2) the erection of furnaces for treating, material obtained from the lower Yangtze region. With regard to the latter it will be remembered that the Nicolas Tsu Engineering Works attempted this during the war, and since the purchase of the works by Creusot's, new and larger furnaces were installed at Pootung. The activities of these, however, have been completely checked.
Macuivery oN 173 Way.
Herr Kocher, who is at present in Germany to negotiate the purchase of machinery for the Hang-{chow coal mines, and.also for the Chinese Electric and Tramway Company, has already despatched 'a considerable quantity of material {to Shanghai for the latter concern, land its early arrival is expected in Japanese ships.
That an alarmist view is not being taken of Herr Kocher's activities in his native land the following details of his purchases will show. For the tramway company he has bought six tram car chassis with electrical equipment from the firm of Bocker; two turbo-alternators of 3,000 kilowatts each, with accessories, from the Allgemeine Electricitats Gesellschaft, (judging from experiences of late years ut the Riverside Station the purchasers' may not eventually be happy over their acquisitions), high tension electric cables, transformers, ete.
At the same time, we are informed, he has purchased in Germany, for the account of the ex-Minister jof Finance, Chang Chien, for his factories at Tungchow, two electric turbines of 2,000 kilowatts each, transmutators, cables, etc. other large quantities of electrical material, auto-buses and trucks, looms, ete.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.