In view of the enormous losses! which the China Merchants' has sustained in recent months, the Com-pang's attitude is understandable, for no concern can continue paying. an enormous salary and wage list. without @ compensating feature in the way of income, unless it is: courting complete bankruptey. The|™ situation is hard for the Company, with the whole of its fine fleet pulsorily laid up, and with the whole of its splemlid business organization Inoperative; and equally hard for the foreign officers who, with their families, seem bound to suffer} through' no fault of their own, and for the large number of Chinese employees, ashore and afloat, who have had their means of livelihood taken Unfortunately, there appears litre immediate prospect of the Company operations on anything. female, and unfit that happy event again comes to pass, the Company's employees, foreign and Chinese, who Ihave been thrown out "of employment will, it is to be feared, have! to contend with a most vifhicult situation which will not be lessened gravity by the prevailing economic conditions on the China Const.
We trust and believe that the china Merchants' Company, despite what it has contended with and! is contending against, will ultimately!
able to arise anew and regain ita this connexion better than quote from a local shipping weekly which, commenting two months ago on the suspension of the Company's services, We understand on the best authority that the staffs of the hips, foreign and Chinese, are wady and willing to continue tp operate them, despite the threats api insults with which they have Bind to contend at the hands of the vuriour military factions and labour organizations, and that neither the Spruign nor the Chinese members fo the crews of the ships are dis-Saatented with the treatment. they Bormally receive at the hands vf the Company. The Company, too, jo an ready qnd willing as the men that the ships shall continue to. operated as this of commerce, bit ander the circumstances, with the extainty that any ship that leaves Bhanghai is bound to be seized by feno"faction or another, there has Bean no alternative to a complete Auspension of services, The Com baby hes retained its staff, foreign anil Chinese, both afloat and ashore, '9p full pay for as tong as has been ble, and the decision to make a wholesale but temporary dispensa-Sion: with the staffs appears to have been arrived at as the result of gwen, hard necessity.
Many, Nationalities Invglved for as: Shanghai. is concerned, wie beliese.that.the foreign. and. calamity for calamity enh the' Com "numerous fore ing who have advised the Neeniy as China end China. Coast shipping cat tot afford that the China. Merchants" {hail be eruabed out of existence. in
secodont inthe History of shippin maener for" which there Rijwbere; and it the militersee and te a deadly their country es its worst could wish Tu. extending to the China Mere chants' Steam "Company our sincere sympathy in the grievous roubles that vote. besetting "it, and expressing the hope that the 'Com-yet overcome. ita difficulties {nd retain its proud, honourable and algae position, we Dolieve we are 'Eaprecsing' the feelings of, Bolshevist foreigners in ther they be skipping ATTER a week's holiday, Chinese newspapers. resumed publication on Saturday, and the members of the staffs, itis whispered, are looking Merwssd to the-next "China New
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.