T= extent of Japanese trade on the Yangtze which, according to Japan's reply to Britain, the United States and France, is unsafe for commercial navigation, is illustrated by details of shipments collected by the "North-China Daily News" among shippers, consignees and lighter companies in Shanghai in regard to the port of Kowan.
As stated in yesterday's issue, Kowan is a port on the north bank of the Yangtze, beyond the boom at Kiangyin to which non-Japanese vessels are denied access, the boom farther down the river being the limit of navigation.
Within the last two months, there has been a considerable volume of import and export trade with Kowan, steamers, tugs, lighters and lorchas being used. Cargo has been taken to Kowan for distribution throughout the North Yangtze hinterland and the vessels have left for Shanghai and [other ports with cargoes of Chinese produce.
Taking the period of a single month's operations from the middle of October until to date, a score of vessels, all of them towing lighters and junks, have been reported at Kowan, leaving with full cargoes after two or three days in port. Some of the shipments on October were:
Ebesu Maru, towing one lighter, with an import cargo of 1,200 packages of piece goods tobacco leaf, Paper, sugar and sea products, Left with export cargo of 2,000 packages including wheat, eggs, sesamum seed and tins of oil.
Hwantung, towing one lighter, with an import cargo of 2,000 units of kerosene, and packages of sundries, left with nearly 6,000 packages of wheat, albumen, yolk and dried lillles.
Shunhang, towing two lighters, with import cargo of 4,000 packages of sugar, piece goods, soda ash, sea products and paper, left with export cargo of 3,500 packages of sesamum seed, eggs, albumen, and wheat.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.