Jan, 26.
The atmosphere surrounding: the farewell dinner given on Friday evening by the British Economic Mission to their friends in Shanghai was charged with goodwill and modest confidence. No one can accuse the Mission of underestimating the difficulty of their task; no one can deny' to Shanghai importers extreme franknesssin expounding one aspect of that difficulty; no-tone can fail to recognize that, however well-disposed China may towards one of her oldest overseas acquaintances, policy of developing Chinese §ndustries—to say nothing of Policies less relevant to commercial issues—must inevitably contribute a qualifying factor of considerable importance. Moreover competition is keen; advantages possessed by pioneers in this undeveloped market have been blotted out in the march of the world's progress. The Economic Mission do not pretend to have discovered the key to a revival of trade, Sir Ernest Thompson's speech indicated possible lines of endeavours it did not do more, Yet it was plain from the reference made fy the head of the Mission the greater knowledge obtained of the conditions under which importers trade there and to the definite need Sor closer cooperation with those valuable links between Great Britain as producer and (China as a consumer, the experiences of the last three months have not been entirely arren of result, Indeed the mere fact that the relations between the Mission and their countrymen here have been so happily developed—as Sir Peter Grain, in his capacity as an ntiring exponent of Shanghai's reasonableness, was able deftly Yo emphasize—stands out as fa tribute to the Mission's per-Bpicacity and the fundamental commonsense of British commerce in China, The Mission to-morrow proteed to Hongkong to write their report. They are expected to occupy themselves about five weeks in the process. Their next brief appearance in Shang-thai should be in the enviable role of homeward bound and, let it be hoped, carefree tourist hen they get down to that ficult work of bringing a mass fof rapidly acquired ideas into focus and of adjusting different Points of view to the assimilation of a connected report, they Whould be greatly helped by the Knowledge that in themselves they represent an immense Variety of British trade interests. hey have experts in many Smportant branches of those enterprises which are chiefly concerned in the Chinese market, Hence will undoubtedly arise conflicting judgments but, by the process of subordinating in-Wividual prejudices and of Adapting individual views to the feommon object, it is to be hoped ahet unanimity on the main principles involved -will have been bitained. Sir Ernest Thompson truck a healthy note of optimism his speech on Friday. If What feeling is to remain St must be interpreted in England by careful attention to. Sir Emest's appreciation of the difficulties with which importers have had to contend. Indeed the Mission will not Dave journeyed to the Far East in vain if they are able on their return to Great Britain to impress on the producer that, unless neglect of the long-standing advice of the men on the spot is incontinently abandoned, no satisfactory, effort can be made to set on foot the revival, for which all are looking and for which the Mission have been instructed to work. The information which the Mission have been able to gain during their tour should, moreover, lead to the institution of measures effectively the cost of producti England, This in itself would be a development of no small importance, Mr, Louis Beale, who has made among the British commercial community the impression that, when his colleagues are functi offici, there will remain in him at Whitehall a most capable and discerning friend, strongly reinforced the chairman's message of hope by a timely exposition of British commercial policy in China. New standards have arisen to test that policy. Those standards demand 'a more scientific approach to trade problems and a more sensitive appreciation of modern aspirations now finding currency the whole world over and mot least in that part of the world which lies East of Suez. Mr. Beale's speech should dissipate the notion that between die-hardism and defeatism there is no choice for the practical man. He repudiated the doctrine of selfish financial exploitation; he equally disclaimed apprehension lest with the new standards at work, the genius of British pioneers should not find expression in the present determination to overcome formidable difficulties No one who has followed the trend of public opinion in England in the last few years can fail to be be impressed by the magnificent resilience of the nation asa whole, There is no chauvinism to encourage the burking of unpalatable facts; there is no dogmatic insistence on the inevitability of a change in leadership. Great Britain slow to move in adaptation of her efforts to new conditions. She does not, on that account, abandon her essentially practical attitude towards world-problems with which she is vitally concerned. Nor is she disposed to claim indulgence on the strength of past achievements. She is firmly convinced of the beneficence of a wider distribution of trade activities and the consequent stiffening of competition. She simply accepts the fact that her policy has to be adjusted to the new standards of tolerance, of international amity and of sustained endeavour. She makes no extravagant pretensions. She believes merely in her readiness to adapt herself to the new order and in the tenacity of her people for the inspiration of the requisite endeavour. This is not the boastful vapouring of a New Jingoism; it is the firm extension of the hand of comradeship to all nations. It confounds the pessimists and comes to the rescue of those who might. be misled and discouraged by. the belief that a once valuable ally in the cause of human progress was faltering on the road and becoming unequal to the call. If that spirit be infused into the report which the Mission eventually present in London the task which Sir Ernest Thompson and his colleagues have tackled with so much assiduity and patience will have been in no small measure performed,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.