Expenditures of the Russo-Japanese war / by Gotaro Ogawa.

EFFECTS ON COMMUNICATIONS

225

EFFECTS ON SHIPPING
General observations
Shipping was affected by the war in a greater degree even
than railway traffic. Setting aside for the present the hindrances caused by the alarm and danger on the sea, a huge
amount of tonnage commandeered for military transportation
literally paralyzed the shipping business of the country. In
consequence, there was a serious shortage of bottoms for both
coasting trade and foreign routes, which, however, could be
made good by the purchase or chartering of steamers. It is
impossible to ascertain exactly how many tons of ships were
commandeered in the war; but we do know that during the
campaign the mercantile marine of Japan, including sailing
vessels, consisted of 4,602 in number, with an aggregate
tonnage of 979,000 tons. However, those vessels capable of
military transportation, that is, steamers above 500 tons, were
only 214 in number, with an aggregate tonnage of 652,300
tons. If a large part of them were commandeered, some
half a million tons would be the approximate figure. Of the
Nippon Yusen Kaisha fleet, which was the most important in
our shipping trade, no less than 112 vessels of various sizes,
with a gross tonnage of 400,000 tons, were requisitioned during
the war. The figure will exceed half a million if the tramp
steamers commandeered be added. The effect of this on the
shipping trade may be inferred from the following report of
the Nippon Yusen Kaisha.
NIPPON YUSEN KAISHA CO. REPORT, 1903-1905
Company boats foreg ts Total
foreign boats
Year
No. of Miles No. of Miles No. of Miles
voyages voyages voyages
1903 (2d half)... 1,043 1,586,767....... 1,043 1,586,767
1904 (Ist half). 800 1,235,050 29 31,229 829 1,266,279
(2d half)... 363 332,822 176 282,125 539 614,947
1905 (Ist half).. 395 319,910 I6i 263,693 556 583,603.....~~~~~~~~~~~~~