THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. SATURDAY, MAY 12, 1906.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXVIX, Issue 8138, 12 May 1906, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. SATURDAY, MAY 12, 1906.

The basis of the scheme of the coming British naval manoeuvres will, it is said, appeal -strongly to shipowner?, as tending to make dear the position of their great industry in the event of a maritime war involving Great Britain. The essential features of the scheme are these: The contemplated operations are to take place between June 23rd and July 2nd. Their area is to be the open ea between the south coast of England and the latitude of Gibraltar. The steamers to be included in the operations (they are not to be mail or passenger boats, or vessels carrying live stock or perishable oargoes) are outward-bound steamers proceeding via the Mediterranean and South Atlantic, add Homeward

bound steamers via the Mediterranean. An Invitation is to be issued to shipowners expecting to have steamers entering the above area between June 23rd and 29th, to allow suob vessels to participate. The role of enemy will be allocated to one naval division, and of defender to another. Merchant vessels participating will be provided with and will carry distinctive indications of the faot. Sealed instructions will be given to the captains for their guidance. On July 2nd, at noon, hostilities will cease, as also will they cease, so far as individual vessels are oonoerned, on capture or on their passing outside the area of the operations. Co-opera-ting vessels, outward bound, are to call at Kalmouth or Milford Haven, tbenoe to sail under convoy in groups of a dozen or less. Home-ward-bound oartioipants will receive instructions at Gibraltar. Theoonvoyed vessels will be required to follow instructions as to sailing in company—all quite in the old style, no doubt—and is to the measures or devices to be adopted in order to escape from vessels of the attaoking force. Possibly oertain faster vessels, possessing a speed which is itself defensive, may be allowed to proceed direct from their point of sailing independently; but probably there are a good many points uf such-like detail which will be dealt with or altered nearer to the of the manoeuvres. Vessels successfully overhauled by the enemy will have to lie to until boarded by the visiting crew, and will subsequently be allowed to proceed on their voyage, carrying indications accordingly.

The Tung Wah Times (Sydney) newspaper reoently received v»ord from General JR. A. Falkenberg (who ia secretary of the Modern Insulator Company, and president of the Standard Kock' Oil Company, of 121, Geary Street, Sao Franoisoo), intimating that, with a view of stemming tbe onward march of the Chinese boycott of American goods in Shanghai and other Chinese commercial centres, a secret order, to be known as the "Sinim Order of the Dragon," has been formed, consisting of the leading American and Chinese merchants. He says:— "This seoret ardor is formed for the purpose of establishing the 'open door' in China, of realising free and unrestricted trade between the United States and China, or benefitting Amerioan merchants and commerce by attaining these objects through co-operation with the Chinese Empire Reform Association, of settling the boycott, and of having efficient laws made in Congress flitting every case involved, and just to all concerned." He goes on to say that ihe Amerioan trade with China last year amounted to about 60,000,000 dollars, and there was no reasoj why this should not be quadrupled under favourable conditions within a few years. Members of the order are to be provided with a certificate duly attested by the proner officials of the Sufreme Grand Executive Council of the order, fpr which no charge is made, the entrance fee being five dollars, and a small monthly subscription. Each member will also be furnished with an emblem of the order free of charge, which will entitle him to all the seoret information communicated *o the order, as well as affording, him protection and assistance from the Chinese empire reform associations in any part of the world.