London, July 28.
The China Association held its annual meeting on July 27 at the P. & O. offices in Leadenhall Street, which are always placed at its services for this function. Those present were:—Mr, David Landale (in the chair), Mr. R. Chatterton Wilcox (Hon. Treasurer), Mr, F. Anderson, Mr. F. O, Reynolds, Mr. D. Macdonald, Mr. A. G. Wood, Sir Fredovick Lugard, Mr.
Thompson, Mr. W. N. Elcome, Mr.
Salinger, Mr. A. M. Townsend, Mr. H. D. C. Jones, Mr. L. _N. Leefe, Mr. A. Brooke Smith, Mr. Gershom Stewart, Mr, Robert TH. Hill, Mr. W. Fisher, Mr. H. Whist-Jer, Mr. D. C. Rutherford, Mr, G. A, Richardson, Mr, J. 8. Haskell, Mr. Charles V. Sale, Dr. H. B. Morse, uup., Mr. J. R. Michael, Mr, T. H. Whitehead, Mr. F. J. Abbott, Mr. F. W. Carter, Mr. H. C. Wilcox (Secretary), and others.
As usual, the main business was the following was the speech of the annual report and accounts, and the following was the speech of the Chairman The report and accounts have been in your hands for some days and, with your permission, I will take them og read. The committee regret the Jate date at which this meeting is being held, but it was found difficult to compile a report, which must necessarily deal with the situation in China, while so much was happening in that country and so many changes were taking place, -For years China has been suffering from the misrule of self-seeking officials and it is to be hoped that those who have recently come into power will prove themselves to be more patriotic and establish a really efficient Central Government. Theres are no more Jaw-abiding or hard-working people in the world than the Chinese. This has been very clearly manifested during the disturbances of recent years, when the fighting has been confined to the strategical points used by the various Tuchuns, or Military Governors, for_ their warfare among themselves. Except at these points, trade has flourished in a wonderful way, and it may be said that the municipal government of many of the great cities and the local government generally—what might be described as the -iMage government of China—has been good. It may be a complicate ed system, and one which would not work in some other countries, but none the less efficient for its purpose for all that.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.