Commissioner to Investigate Industrial Conditions in LKurope, America and Japan, was host on Monday night at a dinner given at the Yih Ping Shang Restaurant,, Thibet Road, in honour of a number of local journalists.
In the course of an extremely interesting address, the son of the well-known Nantungchow industrial magnate stated During the comparatively brief period of my association with the various industrial organizations of Nantungchow, 1 have been given the opportunity to observe and to appreciate the difficult problems confronting them. From these I often turn to the larger question of the industrial development of the country as a whole. While I am not without doubt as to the competence of dealing with such a question of great complexity, I believe that it is quite fundamental to correctly diagnose the causes of the unsatisfactory symptoms of the present industrial situation. While it is always the part of the crities to dwell on the seriousness and hopelessness of the symptoms, I join those who are sincerely. interested in finding remedies and who would therefore first examine the causes with care.
For an intelligent study of this important problem it is necessary to recognize certain factors which may be conveniently grouped! together as being quasi-political. I would first of all emphasize the fact that we are Witnessing the simultaneous progress of an industrial revolution and the inevitable disturbances, or rather readjustments following the wake of a political one. Their interactions have produced conditions unsatisfactory to both. From the industrial standpoint relief can only be sought through the consummation of the process of political stabilization. Until this is done, we shall continue to suffer from the curtailment of the domestic market, the dissipation and destruction of capital, the unavailibility of raw material, the interruption of the development of communications, and the genera] timidity of industrial adventure.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.