Tokyo, Feb, 14. FTO highly significant shipping bills are shortly to be laid before the Japanese House of Representatives, one for control and ce-ordination of the shipping trade, and the other for heavier subsidization of new construction.
These plans have just been put into their final shape by the Legislative Bureau of the Cabinet, and will soon be turned over to the Diet. The proposed subsidy may be regarded as part of the shipping policy that the Japanese Government has for some years been following and now intends expand in its scope of operation.
The amount of ¥.150 million provided under the existing law has for some time been exhausted. The proposed help for ship construction may be a precursor of what is to follow, for some shipping quarters seem to think that Japan should have ten million tons of shipping.
Japan's shipping industry has grown by' three distinct stages, each developed under the conditions of war.
The first of these stages of development was seen at the time of the war with China in 1694-: The second was an outcome of the war with Russia ten years later. The third stage was brought about by the favourable influence of the Great War.
Whether the present war with China will be as fruitful as the past wars has stilt to be seen, but that it will marke a definite turning-point ]Japan's shipping trade can hardly be Jdoubted, If the optimism that Is seen some quarters is well founded, the shipping industry of Japan is evident ly to enter upon a new stage of Jdevelopment upon the return of peace.
some of the promises held forth fare successfully carried out, Japan shipping is to be a. world factor of even greater importance than it was before the trouble with China began.
About the time of the China war lof 1894-5 the cargo carried to and {from Japan by vessels under foreign fags amounted in volume to 734 times. Jas much as that taken by Japanese Ships. But this was reduced to 1's [times that of Japanese vessels round the time of the war with Russia, In 1912 Japanese vessels carried sixteen per cent. less cargo to and from Japan than those under foreign flags. This situation, however, was reversed in favour of Japanese bottoms during the Great War. For the five yea
ried by Japanese vessels wat fo 1aa5 the yearly average car. cent. of the total freight to and from Japan' as against the 31.7 per cent. Hnandled by foreign vessels, a situation junedualted by any other shipping Jeountry of the world,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.