AMERICAN ITEMS.

Wanganui Chronicle, 25 July 1901, Page 1

AMERICAN ITEMS.

FROM LATE FILES

THE TRADE BETWEEN RUSSIA

AND AMERICA.

A special to the "World" from St. Petersburg says Senator Beyeridge has been confering with the Russian Foreign Minister relative to concessions for steamship service between Vladivostock or Port Arthur and some port on the Pacific coast of the United States.

He found the Russian Government already prepared to open up this route by starting a line of steamers between -Vladivostock and San Francisco for carrying the trans-Pacific mails in connection with the Trans-Siberian Railway, which will be completed by the end of this year, it is thought. Two steamers, the Manchuria and Mongolia, each 345 ft long, of 5000 tons burden, 4075 horse-power, and sixteen-knot speed, are building at Trieste, Austria, for the East China Railway Company, which alreay has a fleet of tw(enty-eight steamers for the Yellow Sea traffic. The Manchuria has already been launched, and will be delivered to the Russian Commissioners in July. • The Mongolia will be finished in the autumn. The opening of the new service has been fixed for December.

The passage between Vladivostock and San Francisco is expected to occupy twelve days. The Trieste Shipbuilding Company has just signed a further contract with, the Commissioners' of .the Russian Government for the construction of two other steamers of 6000 tons "and 400 ft long, for the same service.