British Shipping Going Downhill

Manawatu Times, Volume 61, Issue 292, 10 December 1936, Page 6

British Shipping Going Downhill

APPEAL por GOVERNMENT ASSISTANCE United Press Association—By Electric Xelegrapn.— Copyrigi... Received Wednesday, 11.30 p.m. LONDON, Dec. 9. At the Peninsular meeting, Hon. A. Shaw, presiding, said the board’s opinion on the uncertainties of British shipping was such that he did not see any prospect of a return to large distributions. ludeed the figures available for the current year were not so good as last year. Referring to the Cauadian-Aus-tralasian line, Mr. Shaw said: “If it were wiped out by wholly uneconomic competition an example will be given to other lands as to how easy it is to extinguish British lines anywhere and how British hesitation, timidity and inaction lend themselves to the process. It would be surprising if tho public hero and in the Dominions quietly tolerate the wiping out of the last British links in these waters.

“Britain’s merchant tonnage today is about equal to carrying our trade in peacetime but it would be unequal to the task in wartime. Japanese ships are increasingly invading the coastal trade of the British Empire to Hongkong, Singapore, Penang, Colombo, Indian ports, African territories and South Africa. All Japan’s doors are closed to us. All ours are open to her. The cards are in our hands, yet we do not play them. “For years British shipping has been going downhill and will continue downhill as long as the responsible authorities do nothing to save it.”

He warmly applauded Australia’s and New Zealand’s legislation to secure their own purely local trade and suggested that the Government of India should be pressed to begin negotiations with Japan to make any concessions to Japan dependent entirely c-n fair play for British ships. Secondly, the broad aspects of Britain’s shipping position in the Far East should be referred to the Imperial Shipping Committee for examination and advice.