Apr. 10.
The speech of the Chairman of the British Chamber of Commerce yesterday had the merit) of giving the immediate audience a succinct appreciation of the situation in China from the standpoint of the foreign trader. It had the further merit of enabling the Government to judge how their present difficulties and problems are viewed by the chief organization of not the least important foreign community here. Calder-Marshall frankly expressed dissatisfaction with certain aspects of Chinese polic; notably the apparent reluctance to recognize the just claims of British creditors on account of material supplied to the railway aystem which is now receiving further subventions from British funds. He did not mince his words in putting on record the disability under which Chinese trade suffers by the decay of old traditions of scrupulous. performance of undertakings. He drew attention once again to the unsatisfactory position of the judiciary in this matter. No' friend could possibly pretend to give a faithful picture of Sino-Foreign trade relations without making note of those points. In the long run the recovery of, prosperity depends not so much on the general revival of world trade /as on the restoration of China's commercial credit. that much harm has been done, partly by the in con sequences of long years of internal chaos and, partly, by the unwelcome development of: irresponsible business, methods to which political ebullitions shave given a sinister impetus No foreign trader can possibly object to measures taken to Secure revenue, to encourage domestic industries, to advance the industrial progress of the people. When however the Policy seems to be overloaded with endeavours to penalize rather than to impose legitimate restrictions on foreign trade, it sumes unpleasant aspects which must deter activities of considerable importance to the country at this juncture.
Mr. Calder-Marshall_ probably had Jess hesitation in empha Ing these points because, in recent months, prominent members of the Chinese Government have shown the alertness of their Aesive for improved trade relations between China and Great Britain. The warm reception given at Nanking and elsewhere to the British Economic Mission loft no doubt of this feeling. It is, satisfactory therefore that the Chairman of the British Chamber of Commerce yave thems} such strong support on that issue. It. will be noted, too, that, in, so doing, he reviewed ical situation ina to the present administration. Tt is pos: to suggest that the speech went a long way in re-affirming the diplomatic recognition of the Government's claim to stand for China as a whole. The settlement with the' North was applauded. The stability of the Government was clearly Jooked upon as the most desir able. of consummation. The forthedming People's Conference Was referred to in terms of a sincere desire to see it establishing a "real, definite constructive effort" for the rehabilitation of the constitutional and economic fabric of China. It is-generally recognized, by the community for whom 'Mr. Calder-Marshall spoke, that the Government, have. tackled enormous difficulties with considerable presence of mind and energy. 'The immense work' still to be done cannot be ignored; the devastation of long civil wars, the still menacing portent of the bandit terror ean-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.