Hongkong, Feb. 25.
At the annual general meeting. the Hongkong & Shanghai Banking Corporation today the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Br. A. Compton, reviewing trade conditions in China, said that, taken as a whole, last year was marked by a welcome return to normal conditions, The consumption of cotton-goods said, com years and hopes were fixed on the, cooperative schemes of manufacturers in Lancashire, The political situation, remarked] Mx. Compton, shows a marked improvement and the outlook may be dered more promising than for a long time past since there is good] reason to hope that the victory of the 9 Nationalists means an end of the dismal cycle of inter-party warfare from which China has suffered for more than a decade.
The new Chinese tariff, he continued, apy position will he totally changed, however, if, as there seems reason to fear, the new scale is rendered he addition of extra other manic, imports under some Referring to the valuable instruyien cerwdit-of China,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.