Due to the decline in the value of the pound sterling, ce-incident with the abandonment by England of the old currency standard, the majority of British freighters, which former used the Panama Canal in plying 10 and from Australasian ports and Europe, now have been re-routed through the Straits of Magellan or around Cape Horn, according to in-Formation disclosed here on J by Mr. Charles "T. MacDonnell, a tobacco exporter of Havana, who arrived in Shanghai ax a passenger on the Dotiay Liner President Jet-
British shipping interests has.
This move on the part of the the Canal already over 664,000,000 tolls, Mr. MacDonnell" stated while His general through ut the Canal Zone has been affected adversely in a similar ratio. The main reason for the change in
the operating companies find it more outer, of cour, i, the fact that conomieal fo. iapateh their craft around South America than through the Canal, despite the difference of 2,000 miles additional steaming, he ded, the extra run and the bad Weather usually encountered being Compensated for by the saving of {olls, which are estimated on a sold dollar basis. 5 moral business in the Zone has suffered inasmuch as these vessels previously purchased. fuel all, coal End all-different kinds of stores at Zone ports while in transit, Mr. MacDonnell continued, the prices in these commodities, too, being Sigured gold dollars while the ships Sreights and other Income are xeceived in sterling. With the drop value of the pound, naturally the tolls and refitting charges material-slim margin of profit on which most increased, narrowing further the
British lines operate to-day, he sai land thus" forcing the change routes, even though the saving might not appear to be a cons able figure.
Of course certain British pas-wonger vessels and express freight Tines, to which the saving in time an important factor, still use the Panama Canal, Mr. MacDonnell re-ated but even these craft. now bunker at Kingston, or other West Indian "ports where the pound sterling is curvant, instead of takinie fon their coal in the Zone. Before Teaving' England British vessels of all classes on the Australasian ran how endeavour to lay aboard st lent stores to last the entire tri Shen practical, thus affecting general business conditions abroad, According' to his statement, Mr, MacDonnell recently passed through the Canal Zone en route to Francisco, where he boarded the President Jefferson, and ons His destination is Manila where ho will investigate certain phases of tobacco culture, inasmuch as he is interested in @ number of Cuban plantations entirely devoted to rais-Ing the weed.
At this place, more shots were fred by the gunmen as a signal and, answer three or four. boats appeared and came alongside the vessel, The booty was removed and the pirates went over, It was this time that the officers of the vessel were able to reach an estimate of the number of the pirates. In, all, the officers saw about 30° perus get into the boats which quiekving the Paofong, the pirates removed some important, parts of the vessel's engine with the preventing her from giving chase intention of disalting the vessel a After they, the pirates, left. This had the desired effect because, after the pirates escaped, it took two hours for the vessel's men to effect necessary repairs done, the pirates when this 'zood their escape, The ship returned under her own, earn on Jan. 14, thing along the Nantao Bund at! 3,90 o'clock in the afternoon. All the passengers who had booked for Tsungming or Haimen on the jofong were refunded their fares or transferred to another vessel bound for their destination. At Woosung, report of the affair was made to the Water Police and the National Coasteuard Bureau. The Chinese are of the belief that the]
rs of the outrage are of the notorious Taichow pirates now esting the various Chekiang lands and the mouth of the Yangtze iver, ready to seize vessels which fare not provided with armed guards.
When officers of the River Police boarded the Paofong on its arrival the Nantao Bund yesterday after-oon, it was found that one of tha Passengers wounded by the pirates. also was suffering from smallpox in i an advanced stage. The shi mediately was placed in quarantine and officials of the Health Servi notified, no one being permitted to hoard the raft or go ashore. response to the call, Drs. J. W. H. Chun, C. S. Lin, C. ¥. Wun and, A. Chen, together with a corps of dressers, rushed to the scene with medical equipnient for the immediate vaccination of the entire passenger list of over 400 men, women children, and the crew of the vessel. For more than two hours these offi cials. of the National Quarantine Service laboured over the assem-plage, no exemptions to the ruling. being' permitted as the situation was deemed fraught with dange the close contact of the infected: Jrvith the other passengers aboard. As tapidiy as the vaccinations were: completed, the subjects were relas-fed and permitted to proceed to their} destinations, while the sick and wounded were conveyed to a local hospital.
The efficiency and promptness of the National Quarantine Service in handling the emergency was the sub-Jeet of con: table favourable com ment in shipping circles, as thi the first occasion on which the de partment has been called to attend fo such a large number of people without warning or notice of any Kind
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.