"The Times" Comment on Customs Returns: A Remarkable Expansion London, Sept. 15.
Striking figures from the latest Customs report on the trade of China have been extracted by Mr David Fraser and published in "The Times,"
"The Times," commenting on these figures, points out the remarkable expansion of China's foreign trade in spite of the political troubles of the past ten years and says that all observers in the Far East are unanimously of the opinion that the fringes of the country only have so far been ex-plaited commercially.
The paper thinks that the interest in this great field seems far below what it might be, considering what opportunities are provided for a nation of manufacturers whose business is still stagnant in consequence of the war. It is shown that China's foreign trade, even in the present disadvantageous circumstances, ranks among that of the first half-dozen trading nations of the world.
Hope is expressed of a settlement between the North and South, which, the paper declares, would have a magnetic effect on trade. Manufacturers and merchants ar: advised to keup a close watch in this region of much promise. The paper is pleased that the latest news from China is less gloomy and states that it detects a ray of light in the fact that the present Government includes five enlightened men of the younger generation, earnestly seeking to restore norma! eonditions.—Reuter's Special Service.
THE wedding was solemnized at Victoria recently of Mr. W. L. Munson, engineer on the R.M.S. Empress of Asia, and Mins T. J,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.