Regest:

H. H. Joseph, der in Shanghai die Interessen der Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company vertritt, richtet sich in einem als Druckschrift verbreiteten offenen Brief an P. J. Hughes, den britischen Generalkonsul in Shanghai, um ihn darüber zu informieren, dass sich die Vertreter aller großen, in Shanghai vertretenen Dampfschifffahrtsgesellschaften, darunter auch die deutschen Firmen Melchers & Co. sowie Siemssen & Co., am Tag zuvor an Max von Brandt, den deutschen Ministerresidenten und Doyen den diplomatischen Corps in Peking, gewandt haben, um erneut auf das Problem der Versandung der Mündung des Huangpu aufmerksam zu machen. Joseph bittet Hughes um seine Unterstützung, was dieser, wie in der Druckschrift dokumentiert ist, sofort zusagt. In ihrem Schreiben an Max von Brandt geben die Vertreter der britischen, französischen, deutschen und japanischen Dampfschifffahrtsgesellschaften ihren großen Unmut über die offenkundige Untätigkeit der chinesischen Regierung zu erkennen, obwohl einige Jahre zuvor eigens ein geeigneter Flussbagger angeschafft wurde. Die Unterschriften zeigen, in welchem Wettbewerbsfeld sich die beiden deutschen, in Shanghai ansässigen Handelshäuser zu dieser Zeit bewegen. Auffallend ist jedoch, dass nicht alle namhaften in Shanghai ansässigen deutschen Handelshäuser - etwa die Firma Carlowitz & Co. - vertreten sind.

Formalia:

Gedruckte Quelle im Umfang von 2 Bögen à 4 Seiten.

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Peninsular & Oriental Steam Navigation Company,

SHANGHAI, 12th January, 1887.

Sir,

I have the honor to enclose, in open cover, a communication addressed to the Doyen of the Diplomatic Body at Peking on the subject of the conservation of the Wang-pu River and its approaches, particularly in regard to dredging the Woosung Bar. I am aware that the matter is now engaging your active attention, and I beg to state, on behalf of my co-signatories and myself, that we trust, in forwarding this communication to His Excellency M. VON BRANDT, our representations will receive the adhesion and support of yourself and the other members of the Consular Body at this port.

I have the honor to be,

Sir,

Your obedient servant,

H. H. JOSEPH,

Agent.

To

P. J. HUGHES, Esq.,

H. B. M. Consul-General,

Doyen of the Consular Body,

SHANGHAI.|1. Bogen, 2. Seite: blanco|

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H. M. Consulate-General,

SHANGHAI, 13th January, 1887.

Sir,

I beg to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 12th instant, enclosing in open cover a communication addressed to the Doyen of the Diplomatic Body at Peking on the subject of the conservation of the Huangpu River and its approaches, particularly in regard to dredging the Woosung Bar.

Acting on behalf of my Colleagues and with their general concurrence, I shall have much pleasure in forwarding by to-day’s courier the communication which you and other gentlemen connected with most of the leading Shipping Companies and firms have addressed to Mr. Von Brandt, and I shall beg His Excellency in concert with his Colleagues to give the subject his best consideration.

I am,

Sir,

Your obedient servant,

P. J. HUGHES,

H. B. M.'s Consul-General, and Senior Consul.

H. H. JOSEPH, Esq.,

Agent,

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SHANGHAI, 11th Januar, 1887.

Sir,

We have the honor to address you in reference to the conservation of the Wang-pu River and its approaches, particularly in regard to dredging the Woosung Bar, for although it is a subject which has been constantly brought into prominent notice for many years past, and a communication respecting it was made to you as Doyen of the Diplomatic body at Peking, on the 6th March last, by the Chamber of Commerce at this port, we deem the matter of such importance to the interests we specially represent, as well as to the trade of the port and its general welfare, that we again venture, in the apparent absence of any intention on the part of the Chinese Authorities to proceed with the work, to beg that the influence of yourself and your colleagues may be used in urging forward an early resumption of dredging operations.

The risk and heavy expenditure entailed upon shipping visiting the port, and other evils arising from the existence of the Bar in its present state, have been already so fully represented that it is unnecessary to refer to them in detail on the present occasion, or to bring forward further argument to impress on you the desirability of the removal of this obstruction; the provision of funds for effecting that object is also a subject which has been brought under notice by a Memorial to to the Ministers of the Treaty Powers in China dated 5th April, 1880, and, at their own desire, left entirely in the hands of the Chinese Government.

It will be remembered that operations for the removal of the Bar were commenced in the Autumn of 1883 with the Dredger Anding, which it was understood had been specially imported for this purpose by the Chinese Government, as the outcome of previous representations made to them on the subject. The result of these operations, which were conducted under Chinese superintendence, indicated that the Anding was efficient for the service required of her and she is now lying

To

HIS EXCELLENCY M. VON BRANDT,

Envoy Extraordinary and Minister

Plenipotentiary of the German Empire

Doyen of the Diplomatic Body,

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here out of use, but, in the event of her being again employed, or whatever means may be adopted for carrying on the work, it is of the utmost importance for its prompt and efficacious performance that it should be under the control of the Harbour Authorities or other competent European supervision.

Trusting that this combined action on our part will be accepted by the Representatives at Peking of Foreign Governments as an indication of the international interests attaching to the matter.

We have, the honor to be,

Sir,

Your obedient servants,

H. H. JOSEPH,

Agent, Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company.

J. CHAPSAL,

Agent, Messageries Maritimes Company.

MELCHERS & Co.,

Agents, Norddeutscher Lloyd, Imperial German Mail Line.

YEEND DUER,

Agent, Nippon Yusen Kaisha, and Takasima Colliery.

RUSSEL & Co.,

Agents, Union Line.

BUTTERFIELD & SWIRE,

Agents, Ocean Seamship Co., and China Navigation Co., Ltd.

SIEMSSEN & Co.,

Agents for the Deutsche Dampfschiffs Rhederei, Hamburg.

ADAMSON, BELL & Co.

Agents, ‘Castle’ and ‘Shire’ Lines.

GIBB, LIVINGSTON & Co.,

Agents, ‘Ben’ Line Steamers.

ALFRED DENT & Co.,

Agents, China Shippers’ Mutual S. N. Co., Limited.