OUR MERCHANTMEN & TRADE ROUTES.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2218, 3 August 1914, Page 9

OUR MERCHANTMEN & TRADE ROUTES.

WHAT MAY HAPPEN OPINIONS OF SHIPPING MEN. What will be New. Zealand's position as iar as her trade &ud commerce are > concerned it. Britain is compelled to go to war is a question of importance just now: AVjih the object.of ascertaining whether tho various oversea snipping companies trading to and from i\ew Zealand 1 had mado any prepaiation, or contemplated any alterations ] m their regular time-table running in case of war, of. this paper made some exhaustive .inquiries during the week-end.' ' "Guided by Circumstances." At tho' outset it can be said that practically all tlio shipping companies approacuod said that. they woufd bo guided •by circumstances. On the 7 other hand, one; or two managers of well-known shipping , firms proffered the opinion that if' Britain did go to war it would be found tbit the regular direct services between New ; Zealand and English ports would bo inuch curtailed. It was pointed out that the recognised ocean routes would bo souglit by hostile cruisers; and theiofore steam--1 crs outward and ' Homeward bound would have "to be protected. This line > .of action, it was said, would open up one of the biggest questions in the mer- / cantile marino.' ' For instance, it was hold'thai every Homo liner leaving New Zealand snores for the Old Country could hot, .for obvious reasons, bo escorted by cruisers all the'way to Eng - land. Noither could vessels,; leaving Home ports be similarly treated on the outward journey. ' Naturally, the ques-. . tion arises,. What is to be: done? The. answer is that the son ices will have to i bo cut Sown to a mininium, if war does ! occur between Britain and any other countries or country. ....... Direst Mail Service Retained. From-what could be gathered, it was understood that as far as practicable the regular direct mail* service between England and New Zealand and vice versa would bo maintained, but. the . same number of steamers would not be employed. -That would mean- that instead; of having direct mail steamers arriving at and departing from Wellington every fortnight as at present, tlfe servioes would in all probability be : cut down considerably, and there would be .uracil -longer intervals between- the arrival and departure of tlio steamers employed. / Again, it was pointed out that if war is declared, tho • question of having faster mail .steamers on ,the run between Wellington- and, London would have to be seriously considered.

How the Service Would bs Operated. The opinion' was'held that these, fast steamers woukl be quite safe without an escort steaming.across the Pacific to Cape Horn, and perhaps up as far as Monto Video. It was considered that from the latter port up to Capo Verdo Islands or Tenentfo the route would be comparatively safe. From the latter points to the English Channel and London, or of. England . is where our traders would be, likely to meet considerable, trouble. •It is .in these waters that', the British . cruisers would have-to be most actively engaged, inVescorting.- merchantmen." It was considered likely, that a .for jnerchantmen crossing the Atlantic , would be." appointed, and from there a fleetjof warships would escort' them, to England. . ' The same plan would, it was held, bsworked on the outward journey. Merchantmen bound, out. here, and to Australia and : South "iAfricai'-would' ' be escorted by British- men^o-war to a certain point on the African coast,'perhaps down, as far as the, Jslands of :Asceusion or..St,. : Helena..:-.At these, points tho Atlantic fleet, or portions of it, would then escort, them to Cape, Town: Fjom the latter port across the Indian Ocean to Australia they would be protected by a smaller number of warships.' It, will be seen from the above that to keep'the British trfide routes-open in time of war is no easy task, and if it has .to.be undertaken the 1 services all over the world, and especially to New Zealand, will have to be cut down to a minimum. Trade aml-What Will Happen. ~ well-known shipping man in Wellington, whose/firm has 'had a long consection with, tho London-New Zealand' trade, ventured the-opinion that in the event of Britain going,, to war tho ship■ping companies would have to tie a great number of their ships up unless the Admiralty, ordered them for colliers and transports, which he thought was probable. He expressed' the opinion that New Zealand .produce would not be sent forward if war did happen. It was also pointed out that this is the slack season: of the year as far as New Zealand's trade with the Old Country is concerned, Bo that'-the effect of cutting down the'services would not result in as much loss as it.'would in : the busy season. On -tho other hand, Australia is demanding all the bottoms at tho present time to take .away her wheat and. other products. Then her wool'season will be here in a. few months. New Zea- 1 land's busy/season as far as her export, trade is concerned, does not commence till the - end of October or November, andvit was held.that by that"time, the supremacy of the seas would probably be settled for many years to • Position of the Boats To-day. There are four direct .'lines of steamers operating between England and New Zealand, and vice versa. They are the New Zealand Shippiug Company, Shaw, Savill, and > Albion Company, Commonwealth and Dominion Line, and the Fed-eral-Shire Line. The first two mentioned companies have' steamers engaged in the direct mail service from Wellington to London, and vice-versa, as well as steamers running Utwceu New Zealand and Ay® s !' of. England, ( and ' Canadian ports.- The other two companies operate their lines between /England,, United' States,; Australia, and New Zealand. There is another British shipping company—tho American and Australian Line—which operates ' between' New York and Wellington, via Australian ports,'and another line, the United States and Australian Line runs German chartered steamers down from New York to Australian and New Zealand ports. .From the . above it will be seen that at the present time (although it. is the slack time of the year as far as ojir export trade is concerned) there are a number .of British-owned steamere either en route from New Zealand to England or the East Coast ports of the United States, or bound from English, Canadian, or East Coast ports of the United States to New Zealand. That being so; if Britain is compelled to go to war almost immediately, it will be-seen that a number of our steamers, both outward , and • homewardbound, would be affected. With the idea of giving some information concerning the positions of various oversea steamers journeying to and from New Zealand shores to-day, the following has been compiled from the latest movements sheets of the shipping companies mentioned. ' Steamers which are bound to New Zea]and ports and have arrived at Australian' ports have been' omitted from the following list New Zealand Shipping Company. Steamers bound to ' New Zealand ports:— ; . Jfaramea, bound from St. John to Wellington, via way ports. Passed Cape of Good Hope July 5 and "left Durban July 9. Nearing Adelaide. Anglo-Egyptian, bound from Montreal to Wellington, via way ports, and left Durban July, 23. She is somewhere i,a the Southern Indian Ocean,.

i* • Kaikoura, bound from Ljondon to ' "Auckland and Wellington! Left Durban July 30. About 1200 miles out ■ from latter port. Remuera, bound from London to Wellington. Left Cape Town July 31. About 1100 miles out from later port. . Steamers bound from New Zealand ports:— . Kaipara, left Lyttelton, July 11, for West Coast ports of United Kingdom. Somewhere between Monte Video and 3 Teneriffe. ' W'hakatane; left Lyttelton June 29 for London. Somewhere between Monte Video and Gibraltar. 1 Rotorua, left Wellington for ljondon July 2, at Monte Video July 21. Be- ] tween that port'and Teneriffe. Rimutaka, left Wellington for Avon- ' mouth, July 1. Nearing Monte Video. ■ .-' Turakiria left Wellington'for London last Thursday. Shaw, Savill, and Albion Company. Steamers bound to New Zealand ; ports:—.. i Athenic, bound from London to Wel- , lington. Left Cape Town July 17 and . due at Hobart August 6. : Rangatira,. bound from Liverpool to , Wellington, via. way ports. Left Cape • Town July 25. About half way across • the Indian Ocean. | Corinthic, 1 bound from London to Wellington; At Teneriffe July 30j and , duo Cape Town August 15. , Matatua, bound from London to ;. Duuedm. ■ Left Home July 3. Between Capo Town and llobart. Steamers'.bound from New Zealand ports:— ''. ■. lonic, left Wellington -for London, July;l6., Due at Monto Video on Wed- ' nesday of this week. Kia Ora, - left Auckland for London, Hull, aiid -Newcastle, July 18.~ Left Monte Video July; 9, and due Loiklon July 29. No official advice, of her arrival _as yet. Waiwera, left Wellington for London July 14. Somewhere this side of Mont-o Video. _ Tokomaru is. probably in the Atlantic ,at present,, a few days out from Home, bound for Canada. , Pakeha left London on Friday, with a. fairly valuable cargo for Auckland and other New Zealand-ports. Commonwealth and Dominion Line. Steamers ' bound to New , Zealand ports:—. . . Hawko's Bay, bound from London to Wellington. Left Capo Town, July 10. About three parts of tlie way across the Indian Ocean. Star of Australia, bound from New York to Wellington. Between Cape Town and Melbourne. - . Star of Victoria,_ left Loudon, July 21. In the vicinity of- Cape Verde Islands. ' ' Indralema, left- New : York July 27. tn tlie vicinity of tho, Bermuda Islands. Steamers bound from New Zealand ports:— , Indrabarali, left Lyttelton July 7, for Home. ... . » Left Australia: Homeward bound: Niwaru, sailed from Sydney July 9. Mimiro, sailed from Sydney July 9. Wliakarua, . sailed ' from Sydney July 26. ' ■' Federal Shire Line, Steamers bound to New Zealand ports:— Surrey,-bound from Liverpool to.Wei-. • lington. In the vicinity of the Sierra Leone Coast, British West Africa. Steamers bound from New Zealand ports:— Kent, left Wellington July '22, for Boston and New York. Between Cape Horn and Wellington. Durham, left. July 11. Between Teneriffe and Las Palmas. Rimutakaj Homeward bound, a few days out from' Montevidop. Australian and American; Line. The IndTalema was'to have left, New York on July 27 for Wellington. If she got away , she should'-be .' well off.' ;the coast of -the •'UnitM States;!: United States and Australian Line. The. t . German ...chartered,, .steamer's' Stolyenfels and Wildenfels are both'en. rout'o from. New . York to Wellington ; under the above lino's flag. The former vessel'is in. Australian waters, and -■the latter left New York on July, 4. Consequently she is.in the North' Atlantic Ocean. Cerman Australian Line. Tie steamer to leave Hamburg for .Wellington in the new German-Aus-tralian Line—the. Wismar—is now on her way down here. She should show ;up at Wellington about theiend cf this month provided she is not diverted by a wireless message, j .

ENTENTE V. ALLIANCE' .-.

GROUPING OP EUROPEAN NATIONS . ; NEUTRALISM) STATES The relations' of the nations ■ of ; Europe to one another are governed b) an _«sceiißive system 01 treaties ana commercial conventions. The 'present grouping of tiie; Powers dales back to lbsi >'wnen the 'i'npJe , Alliance was formed by Italy, joining iu the defensive aliuiiice then existing between' .Germany and Austria. liussia, in ifco-tj concluded- a secrettreaty with Germany, whitfn was said to .Jiivo in view a war with' England, but this treaty was terminated m 181)0. France, siuce the close of the Franco- ' i'russion war in 18/1, had stood alone in Europe; and as soon. as llussia was released'from her' obligations to Germany the foundations' of the present Fraiico-liussian alliance were laid. 1 An' understanding was arrived at in 1891 and was jivelcomed iu both countries 'as enabling .to regain their inlluence in the counsels of Europe. Secret conventions were signed in 1891 and 1892, which in ,The words of M. llibot, then l'V reign Minister, secured for France ''the support of .Russia for the maintenance of tho equilibrium in Europe." The word . '"alliance" was first used tentatively in 1895, and was at last definitely .prociaimcd by the Tsar in 1897. Britain's connection with tho Dual Alliance began in -1904, when the An-glo-French Convention was signed providing for the settlement of all outstanding : territorial questions botwe'en tho two "Powers and tho Entente Cordiale thjis established. In 1907 the long period of.suspioion .between Britain and Russia was closed 1/y the signing of tlie Anglo-Russian Convention settling the spheres of influence of the two Powers in Persia, and this convention was subsequently extended iu 1911. Reference is made elsewhere to the obligations of Britain'to France' and Russia. The' terms df neither the' Triple Alliance nor . the Dual Allianco have been officially published, but the three nations of tho Triplice are known to have agreed to defend their territories - against any pther or others of - the Great Powers.. It has been stated that Italy is bound te send .a. fore© into France in the event of a war between Germany and Franco, but the Italian Government subsequently informed the French , that in no cricumstances could she becomo an instrument of acgress!on against France. In 1896 Rumania joined the Triple . Alliance. Tho only other nation in Europe connected .by definite allianco with any member pf either group is Portugal, which has been an ally of Britain's for many years. According to the treatv of alliance neither party is to help a nation attacking tho other, nor to give asylum to the_ enemies of the other, except to political fugitives or exiles. 7n case of war and invasion eaeli nation is to assist the other with arms, men, and ammunition when required. The treaty has been renewed from time to time. i.. %>ur European States have been per-

manently neutralised by treaties among the great Powers. The first was Switzerland, whose territorial integrity was permanently guaranteed in 1815 by Britain, Austria, France, Prussia, and Russia. Belgium was also neutralised by tlio Treaties of London of 1831 and 1839 by 1/he same Powors,. and Luxemburg by tlio Treaty of London of 1867. In 1907. Britain, France, Germany, and Russia signed a treaty guaranteeing the integrity of Norway. By an international convention signed in 1888, tlie Suez Canal and its approache were permanently neutralised. The jwsition of the nations of Europe and tho population of each may thus be sot out as follows in relations to tlie two great combinations TRIPLE ENTENTE GROUP. , Population. Great Britain 45,300,000 France ..' 39,600,000 Russia 122,500,000 Servia 4,500,0j0 Portugal ..... 6,000,000 . 217,900,000 TRIPLE ALLIANCE GROUP.. Germany. 64,900,000 Austria-Hungary 49,900,000 Italy . 35,200.000 Rumania '... 7,500,000 7 157,500,000 PERMANENTLY NEUTRAL . STATES. ■ Switzerland. Norway. Belgium. ; Luxemburg. UNATTACHED TO ANT GROUP. Sweden. Greece.. Spain. Bulgaria. Denmark. Turkey, ■ Holland.