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From Pittsburg we proceeded
to Washington to attend the annual meeting of the United States Chamber
of Commerce. This meeting was well attended, there being a greater
number present than had ever before attended. These meetings are drawing
the commercial interests of the United States much closer together,
thereby giving them an influence they had never before possessed. At the
request of Mr. Rhett, the President, I addressed the assemblage.
I had several conferences
with the Shipping Board on the work they have before them, and from what
I learned, they certainly have a big job on their hands. I also called
on some of the Cabinet Ministers, and on the heads of various
departments, discussing with them subjects of general public interest.
We then went to New York,
to attend to some business concerning our branch office. While in New
York I attended two meetings of the Directors of the American
International Corporation, which, under the presidency of Mr. C. Stone,
has progressed. They have decided to enter more into Chinese enterprises
than they have in the past. They asked me to express my opinion of the
future of China for commercial enterprises and investments. I also
attended a couple of meetings at the India House, and had conferences
with big shipping men of New York.
We returned to California
by way of Vancouver, B. C. At Vancouver we were building a large
saw-mill, preparatory to entering into the. manufacture of lumber on an
extensive scale, to provide cargoes for our steamers going to the
Orient. We were also establishing a terminus for our steamship line, as
we had secured the Great Northern Railroad dock and warehouse, opened
large offices, and were getting an organization together to successfully
manage the business. My son, Melville Dollar, was in charge. At this
time we had started negotiations to buy the controlling interest in the
China & Export Company of Shanghai, China, which had mills and lumber
yards scattered throughout the largest Chinese cities. As considerably
over a quarter of a million dollars would be involved, we considered it
necessary for my son Harold (who was home from Shanghai on a vacation)
and me to go to China to make an investigation as to the property values
of the company.
We arrived in San
Francisco the middle of February and on the 5th of April, we left for
Vancouver to embark on a Canadian Pacific liner for Shanghai. Before
sailing, we spent a week looking over our various interests in the
vicinity of Vancouver. We found the shipping department had been well
systematized; the frame of the mill had been erected, and the machinery
on hand and being set up. The wharf was built and there was the
appearance of a big manufacturing plant.
The steamer made such a
short stop at Yokohama that I did not have time to visit Tokio, where
there were several Japanese with whom I would have enjoyed renewing my
acquaintance. At Kobe, we had one day, which I spent in our branch
office. Sixteen days out from Vancouver, we arrived in Shanghai. We
immediately got down to business, and, after nearly two weeks of hard
work, had about concluded our investigations as to the value of the
properties, when we received a hurry up cable from the British Admiralty
commandeering our three steamers, so I had to leave at once on the
steamship "Bessie Dollar.' She was scheduled to load in Hongkong, and we
were in a fix. On arrival at Hongkong, I at once called on the
Commodore, and arranged with him to do what he proposed doing with the
vessel, but to let us have half the cargo space to take care of our
obligations. What appeared at first to be a serious stoppage of our
business, turned out to be quite satisfactory after readjusting our
business to suit the circumstances. Getting the ship fitted out for the
British service kept me in Hong Kong eight days.
From Hong Kong we
proceeded to Manila. Here the American Government had made arrangements
for us to load some of the seized German steamers, the Pacific Mail to
load the balance. On account of the war, business was very brisk, and it
was only a case of getting the goods, to sell them. Like other parts of
the world, lack of transportation was the chief trouble. Hemp and copra,
that would stand a high rate of freight, were moving freely; but sugar
would only pay $30.00 per ton, so no steamer would carry it. At the port
of Hoilo, there were over 100.000 tons in warehouses.
On this visit I learned
that Americans and Filipinos were getting to understand each other
better, and instead of antagonism, there is now a friendly feeling of
working together for the common good. There are no signs of American
capital entering the Islands to any large amount. This is the more
remarkable, if we compare them with China, which, although continually
torn by revolutions, is drawing freely on American capital. There seems
to be an utter lack of confidence, by financiers, as to the future of
the Islands. The natives have been clamoring for independence and, now,
when they see that the kind of independence they will get, will be
absolute, and that the American army and navy will leave them to work
out their own salvation, the fear of Japan has caused them to change
their minds. Now they don't want the Americans to leave them to their
fate. They want a complete self-government, and, without the consent of
the United States, to get into all kinds of troubles with other nations,
and then to have the United States fight their battles for them. They
now see this is not workable, and until they get an army and a navy of
their own to protect them (which may be in the dim and distant future),
they must, as soon as they are ready for it, accept a government similar
to that of Canacia or Australia. I believe that the well thinking
Filipinos will take this view of it, and if immigration is allowed, it
will make the Islands one of the richest countries on earth—but, they
must first have labor, then capital, to accomplish this.
I had to return to
Shanghai as quickly as possible, to close the China Import & Export
Company deal before the 1st of July, so remained only two days in Hong
Kong on my return trip. On arrival in Shanghai, I concentrated my
efforts to find the best, and cheapest land along the waterfront
suitable for the erection of a wharf and warehouse terminals for our
trans-Pacific steamers, and for accumulating freight from the Outports
for export. We finally bought one thousand feet frontage containing ten
acres, and where there would be twenty-seven feet of water at low tide,
along the front of the wharf when built, which is sufficient for our
largest steamer. In the near future, we will commence the erection of
the wharf and warehouses.
1 looked over the city,
to see how much it had extended during the past eighteen years, as I
have a distinct recollection of where the boundaries were at that time.
I was astounded to find the city had increased in area more than forty
per cent. No wonder that land had increased tenfold in value in those
eighteen years. There are no desirable vacant houses, and rents are very
high.
We went to Hankow on one
of the palatial river steamers and, while I had often seen it before, I
was more impressed than ever with this beautiful country, with its rich,
productive valley. At times the valley is so wide that the hills cannot
be seen on either side, and it is seldom that they can be seen on each
tide at the same time. The Province of Sezchuen, alone, has over fifty
millions of people, and it is so cut off by the rapids, called the
Gorges, that it is inaccessible to commerce. This makes them an entirely
self-supporting community, that raises and manufactures what it
requires. An effort is now being made to connect Chung-kiaug with the
outside world with three small steamers, but the navigation is most
difficult and dangerous. That pioneer of American commerce, the Standard
Oil Company, has built a boat, and now has her in the service between
Ichang and Chungkiang. but in the not very distant future a railway will
supplant this service.
It »s over two years
since I visited Hankow, and I find a number of substantial buildings
have gone up, and many improvements have been made. Railroad building
has been slow, but the Hankow-Canton Railroad is now open for passenger
travel to Changshau, a distance of one hundred and sixty miles. Good
cars, shops, offices and dwellings have been built in a very substantial
manner at Wuchang. Two years ago we purchased over five acres of land
right in the city. At that time, I thought we paid too much for it, but
found it could be sold now at a twenty per cent advance. We are erecting
an attractive building on a corner, for an office, and a manager's
residence. Like Shanghai, Hankow is destined to be a great commercial
center and its prosperity will not detract from, but will help Shanghai.
As the former is destined to be a great railroad center of China, there
is plenty to be done.
We wanted to go to
Peking, but were told that the Government had commandeered all trams to
move troops to Peking, where fighting had started. As it was a long way
around to return to Shanghai, then go by ocean steamer to Tientsin, our
objective point, we waited two days and learned that a train would
start, but with only a fair chance of getting through as fighting was
going on in earnest. However, we took a chance and went on it.
Never venture, never win,
was our motto. We were fortunate, as the Monarchist forces gave up and
we managed to get through. Fighting had ceased the day before we got
there. We found that every one that could possibly get away, had gone to
Tientsin and Petiho. So we bad the great big hotel almost to ourselves.
Souvenirs of the day before were visible at the door, in the shape of
two bullet holes. The walls of many houses were riddled with holes, and
at the Chien Mein (City) gate, several hundred bullets and shells had
hit. We visited the place where Chung Hsur had been. It had been
destroyed by shell fire and was still burning. It was outside the
Forbidden City wall. Holes had been drilled through this wall and the
muzzles of two cannon were still sticking through it. At such close
range and with the protection of the wall, the Monarchists had had no
show.
Chung Hsun escaped in an
auto, sheated with steel plate. It had been hit scores of times, as each
bullet had made a dent in the steel, so when he got out of range, the
car did not look much like its former self. The city was full of
soldiers, and as they had no accommodations for so many, we saw many
trainoads leaving, mostly in box cars and gondolas. In the latter, were
both horses and men. They did not appear to stand on the order of their
going, but were bundled out in any old way. I noticed at the rear of
each tram, one second-class coach was filled with officers.
It is needless to say,
most of the parties I wanted to see could not be found, although I
succeeded in finding a number of Americans and British, but no Chinese.
The entire Administration was out of town. We were able to get a train
going to Tientsin, which was heavily guarded by soldiers, besides,:
there were a lot of them at every station. We were heartily glad and
thankful to get safely to what we call our home, when in Tientsin—the
flat above our office which is a comfortable and pleasant place to stay,
and which we enjoyed. Business was almost at a standstill, and no one
knew where they stood, but in a few weeks business will be resumed as if
nothing had happened.
It might not be amiss for
me to recite here what started all the row. Chang Hsun was a Monarchal
sympathizer and escaped from Nanking with his army, and, planting
himself with his troops in a corner of Kiangsu Province, for three years
levied on the inhabitants for the subsistence of his army of about forty
thousand men. When the two factions at Peking got to the point where
they could not agree, the President inadvisedly invited Chang Hsun to
come to Peking as a mediator. He came in a peaceful way, but
incidentally brought five thousand of his best troops with him. all
fully armed. In a couple of days he had sized up the situation, and saw
how weak the Government was, so he put the thirteen year-old Emperor on
the throne, believing by this act he had re-established the monarchy. As
his troops had been well placed, he easily got possession of the city.
But the troops in adjoining cities stood true to the Republic, and,
coming in from all directions, surrounded the city. Fighting commenced,
and Chang Hsun, seeing he had been caught in a trap, deserted his men
and went to the Dutch Embassy, where he claimed their protection. Had it
not been for this move, his head would have parted company from his
body. It is well that this test came, as the provinces declared
unanimously for the continuance of the Republic.
In Chinese politics there
is always something next. The old Government is in power in Peking, but
Sun Yat Sen and Tong Shai Yei are in Canton getting together the young
Progressives, as they are called, evidently for the purpose of starting
another rebellion. The last one was started with Sun Yat Sen and said to
have been financed in Tokio, but Yuen Shai Kai had been fully informed
and was ready for them, so it fizzled cut in a short time. Some
newspapers state that this time funds will not be forthcoming from
Japan. If that is correct, then it will not likely amount to much; but,
if money can be obtained, there will be another ugly civil war. Poor
China is having her troubles, and all her well wishers hope that trouble
will cease before foreign intervention becomes necessary. If the good,
well-thinking Chinese could only see the situation as Americans see it,
they certainly would get a United China.
We got back to Shanghai
by the Tientsin & Pukow Railway, passed the rebel stronghold and saw a
number of soldiers, but were unmolested. Had a week in which to close
the business I had on hand, and sailed on the steamship "Empress of
Asia." on the 5th of August, for Vancouver, where we arrived August 20,
1917. |
