Apr. 27. The Indo-China Steam Navigation Ca, Ltd, to correct an erroneous' impression which appears have arisen locally, announce as far as is known' at present their steamers will continue to operate in their normal trades.
So far, requisition by the Ministry of Shipping implies that vessels will be run under time charter to H.M. Government and. for their account. What rates of hire will be paid for the vessels or when is not yet known. in view of the changed situation, it is explained. The plan is being discussed by the parties concerned and in the near future it will be carried vut. Foreign shipping interests are said to be perfectly will-Ing to ce-operate with the Chinese firm because they know that overseas Chinese, the chief aim of the shipping expansion programme, will no doubt Support the Chinese firm.
The Chinese firm is planning to open several routes: to the South Sea Islands. The frst step is to open a route between Hongkong and the Philippine Islands extending its business later to Singapore. Tt fs recalled in this connection that just before the Sino-Japanese hos-Uilities the company was actually carrying out such an expansion Programme by providing several ocean-going ships but it could not become a realization because of the war here.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.