The annual dinner of the American Chamber of Commerce was held om Wednesday at the American Club, close upon 100 members attending. A business meeting was afterwards held, with who President (Mr. H. H. Arnold) in the chair.
In the course of a review of the year, the President said American business in China had experienced perhaps its most trying period, but this was typical of the business of all nationalities throughout the world. During the period of the war the demand for raw materials maintained business at its highest pitch and China played her part in meeting the demands upon her resources, ever, with the cessation of hosti ties came the reaction. There were nce longer the vast markets of the world for manufactured articles and the manufacturer was overstocked with raw materials. As a result business became stagnant. But now at conditions were swinging back to normal, and especially with the exchange situation in China returning to its prewar status and remaining for a. considerable period without violent fluctuations as existed about a year ago, business men were facing the situation with sounder views.
The membership of the Chamber today was: 102 companies, 107 dividuals and 97 non-resident firms or manufacturers in the United States, making a total of 306; during the year 26 firms joined the Chamber, while 15 withdrew from the China field.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.