Hongkong, July 22.
The boycott of the steamers belonging to the Hongkong, Canton Macao Steamboat Ca. continues, without any prospect of an early settlement. However, _although these vessels carry little passenger tref, they are allowed to carry jeargo. The company controls four vessels, including the str. Fatshan, which ' is owned by the China Navigation Ca, and now is lying idle in Kowloon Bay, as her officers fare on strike. The remaining three vessels had to make a double run in order to maintain a day boat, but since the [boycott has been dragging on for} nearly a month, with little hope of Jan carly end, the company has given up this double run, and only one tay boat leaves for Canton every alternate day, while the night service carries on as usual, The Canton Government takes the view that the boycott is purely] Jo dispute between the company and {the employees and does not attempt} to take sides in this matter. The British Consul-General in Canton takes a different view and insists that the Canton police should stop the interference of the pickets with would-be passengers on these British steamers. The dismissed seamen who caused the boycott declare that} they will adopt stronger measures upon the return\to power of the] Hankow party in Canton, Despite the anti-Sapanese boycott in South China and elsewhere, the Japanese Consul and Japanese} merchants in Hongkong not only are not worried bat appear quite] Joptimistic. They maintain that! China needs Japanese goods as} necessities which she cannot supply, and point out that the boycott possible in words but not in reality. When it comes to economy, the] Chinese people forget the boycott, or "patriotism," the Japanese say.
Some think the boycott will not] last another two months. Chinese officials and pickets can be made to soften their attitude by a little "gift," so that Japanese products Joventually reach Chinese consumers, Another method is to change the trade-mark or other signs. Chinese young ladies in Hongkong are Particularly anxious to buy -ailk from Indian stores, as it is uttractive and cheap, but much of it} comes not from India but from Japan,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.