2300 



COMMEECIAL JAPA^n^ 



[Tj^TKHBER, 



LENGTH OF RAILWAYS IN JAPAN. 



[From United States Consular Report, 18a9.] 



Consul-General Gowey sends from Yokohama, under date of August^4, 1898, the following printed statement, showing authorized 

 and completed mileage of railways of Japan on July 31, 1898: 



NAME OF COMPANY. 



Japan 



Hankai 



lyo 



Hanyo 



Saniiki 



Kaiishi 



Osaka 



Kobn 



Kyushiu 



Sobu 



Saiigu 



Hoshiu 



KawaK'jye 



Oriie 



Sano 



Kara 



Uantan 



Naniiva 



Boko 



Ota 



Nanyo 



Dozo 



K.voto 



Chuyetsu 



Narita 



Hokiiyetsu 



Kozuke 



Toyokawa 



Kayo 



Karatsu Kogyo 

 Ni.sliinari. . . . . . 



Author- 



Length 



''^:^x'^ cc;^p& 



length. 



Miles. 

 853.14 



6.22 

 12.79 

 321.47 

 27.19 

 1.30. 63 

 45. 25 

 26. 77 

 323. 73 

 72 



2C. 15 

 59. .51 

 18.4 

 13 



9..')4 

 38.17 

 71.14 

 16.6 

 53. 03 

 12. 12 



6.65 



3.00 

 104.06 

 22.6 

 31.79 

 99.06 

 21 



18.55 

 11.23 

 27.3 



3. 52 



MUes. 



821.15 



6.22 



12. 79 



280.05 



27.19 



140. 57 



4.5.25 



26.77 



282. 51 



72 



26. 15 

 48.34 

 18.4 

 13 

 9. .54 

 37.1 

 30.62 

 16.6 

 26.74 

 9.74 

 6.65 

 3.06 

 6.27 

 18.4 

 24.57 

 66.47 

 21 



13.36 

 6.06 



3.52 



NAME OF COMPANY. 



Nankai 



Nanboku . . . 

 Hankaku... 



Kiwa 



Koya 



Chugoku ... 



Nanao 



Seiwa 



Iga 



Zuso 



Imari 



Omi 



Yamaga 



Kibi 



Bisei 



Tsiigaru 



Kinbc 



Uwajima ... 

 Ganvetsu . . . 



Tohi 



Tokushima . 



Joso 



Shunko 



Tobu 



Ishinomaki. 



Mobil 



Joya 



Tango 



Tsuga 



Author- I T «„^j. 



Total 3, 521 



I 



JAPAN AND THE NICARAGUA CANAL. 



[From the New York Commercial.] 



Arcording to S. Uchida, the Japanese consul at this port, the United States has found in Japan a strong champion in the building 

 of the Nicaragua Canal. Though the United States has gone steadily ahead in its determination to cut through the narrow neck of 

 Central America and thus join the two great oceans, rumors of international disputes have grown so numerous that even those who 

 liave been most cntlnisiastic in the advocation of the canal have grown to fear the outcome of its construction. 



From the Far Fast, however, recejitly came tlie report that the merchants and oflicials of Jai)an were heartily in favor of the canal, 

 and y( stcrday Mr. Ucliida was willing to he (juoted to the effect that his countrymen and liis Ciovernment were particularly anxious 

 that the canal should he pushed through as rapidly as i)ossible and that it should be controlled exclusively by tlie United States. 



"My (iovernment has always advocated the building of this canal," said Mr. Uchida, "and of course the hope has always been 

 entertained that it would he exclusively controlled by the Americans. Japan only desires fair treatment, which it will undoubtedly 

 receive, and will ask no favors. Should this canal be (-ut througii, the siii])ping interests of the United States would not only be greatly 

 benefitted, but I also believe tliat it would greatly encourage the shijjping interests of Japan. At present most of the trade between the 

 United States and Japan is carried on from San Francisco and Seattle, but if the canal was complete*! to-(iay I am almost certain that 

 the(iulfand Atlantic ports would receive a large projiortion of th.e tnule from my own country, which probably would l>e quickly 

 doubled. Already several Japanese bottoms have ai)pcared in the Gulf and on the .\tlantic coast, hut the trip around the Horn is 

 entirely too long to render it ])ossible for any successful trading in native vessels. The big canal would .«olve the problem, and my 

 (Jovermnent is heartily in favor of it." 



From one of the most extensive Jai>an(>.Me importers in the country it was learned yesterday that quite recently a memorial was 

 addres.«cd to the Japane.-c throne urging the Fnii)eror and his cabinet to take a bold stand in support of the effort of the Uuiteil States 

 til build the Nicaragua Canal. 



".\t present the .Japanese merchants arc practically at the mercy of Briti.sh shipowners," said the Commercial's informant. "The 

 api)earan(c in the Pacific of the United States as a power gives sufficient reason to believe that once the Nicaragua Canal is built this 

 (iovermncnt will bi- abK> to protect it, and, alK)ve all. able to control it ab.solutely. Japan is already weary of the domination of the 

 Knglish and French shipi)ing agencies, and hojies that with the building of the Nicaragua Canal not only to encourage her own shipping, 

 but also to see the advt iit of the Yankee ship as an important factor in Oriental commerce. At pn^sent nearly every sliip that enters 

 the harl)or of San Francisco laden with Japan<\se merchaiuli.-ie carries a British or a French flag. The day should not lx» far distant 

 when the products of .Japan should be carried to this country in .\in»'rican bottoms and the .\merican export trade in the PiU^itic handled 

 by the s;nut> Hhipi)iiig nu'ichanls." 



Local exporters were greatly interested yesterday in the report that the .Japanese (lovernment hadJxHMi making ex|x>rinient,« in 

 buying at Gulf ports. The original news that three or four Jajianc^e ve.«sels had appeared at certain Southern jKirt.s m(\«t noticeably 

 Mobile, during the last few months was not considered .is vi much importance, but a dispatch to one of the large exporting houses from 

 its agent at San Franci.sco conveyed the intelligetice that the ves.«els were really sent out, not by merchants, but by tlie otlicials of the 

 Tokyo Chamber of Connnerce, evidently for the ])urpose of seeing what advantage's could be socunnl in the way of buying and selling 

 in these ports. Whether or not tliis investigation is but jxirt of tlie plan to demonstrate the value of the Nicaragua Canal to Ja|>an 

 could not be a-'^certained. When Mr. Uchida was (juestioned upon the subjet^t, he simply smiled and intimateil that his Government 

 hff.d alreaily made exhaustive exju'rimcnts in that chrection. 



