London, Mar. 27.
"The annual general meeting of the China Association, which was held on Wednesday, March 26, at the ofces of the P. & O. Steam Naviga-ion Company, was of special interests, in view of the election of new President and the retirement of Lord Southborough after four years in that office. The Association presented two cups to Lord South. Dorough at the end of the offic proceedings, in token of their grat tude.
Mr. Stanley G, Dodwell was in the chair, and amongst those preent were:—Lord Southborough, 'Messrs. H. W, Looker, H. G. Simms, 'Sir Francis Aglen, 'Lieut-General Sir George Macdonogh, Sir James Stewart Lockhart, F. Anderson, Bird, J. 8, Haskell, H. D. C. Jones, W. B. Kennett, W, P. Ker, OF.' Mackay, H. A. J. Macray, Mayers, D.C. Rutherford, F.
Brig. GR. Wood-'A, Stanton, T. H. Whit
Harry Fox, Sir Cloud Severn, A. V. Apcar, ly. S. Bailey, 'Thomas Brown, D. G, M, Bernard, GH. Emo, GIN. Dodwell, Robertson MeIsane, C, Mackintosh, Michael, Joseph Nissim, Clark, E. P.' Seymour, Joseph 'Taylor, A. M, Townsend, W. Theodor and Rv H. Ri Wade, and E. Bf. Gull TE. Wileor,' oink seretare In proposing the adoption of the Annual report and accounts Mr. Dodwell suid:—"My first task is briefly to allude to—and, s0 far as they allow, to haracterize—the events of the past year, I shall attempt no largerkeale picture, for, as the report correctly states, it would be practically Smpossible to achieve correct per spective. Events have been more obscure in their significance than usual, with Jess finality than usual—which is saying a good The movement which last year looked ike upsetting the regime at Nanking appears to have come to life again, Indeed, it seems hardly po: ible to visualize any regime in China, at any vote during the ime of any of us in this room, which will not be surrounded by dis turbing elements, liable at an ment to break out and take charge of the situation. It is this ever-present uncertainty, so detrimental to China's foreign trade, which we oped to see dispelled' to some extent during 1929, but unhappily it was not to be, and on the top of coming rather in the nature of the Inst straw, we have experienced a phenomenal drop in the price of silver, which is depressing China's import trade as much, if not more than anything else."
Continuing, the chairman said that, taking the year as a whole, the ground appeared to be becoming a little firmer, This feeling was engendered perhaps by what appeared to be an increasing degree of rea. sonableness on the part of the Ci nese not, merely towards the Bri ish, but towards foreigners and for-ign interests in general. The out ook for the salt loans had improved, With regard to the Customs A ministration, Mr. Dodwell expressed the opinion of the Committee to the effect that the present situation of all-important organization must sidered mutually satisfactory to Chinese and foreigners alike and that this happy state of affairs was undoubtedly due in no small measure to the able way in which Mr. Maze had filled the difficult post of Inspector-General. Many of the oilways were ina very bad way, Hut there was evidence of some effort to improve their position, although there was no evidence of any effort to pay off past indebted-ess for materials and rolling-stock. the problem of extraterritoriality and that of the Shanghai Provisio Al Court, full as they were with explosive elements, were not, as far as could be seen, being treated with that recklessness which at one time seemed probable, Six months ago, Fit looked as though the Chinese, were advancing towards them literally with lighted torches in their brands; heedless of the consequences.
To-day, there was, at any rate, more evidence of reason on their part than at this time last year. This improvement in relations, the Chairman hoped, was largely due to Chinese appre and. con Government.
Proceeding to deal with the questions in which a conciliatory policy was being followed, the Chairman sketched the latest phases of the extraterritorial problem, and_those of the allied question of the Provisional Court, "As regards the latter, he understood that a new agreement would come into force on April 1. "As all of you know," he said, "the Provisional Court is'simp\y the old Mixed Court, which was placed on 'a new provisional footing at the end of 1926, The footing on which now, as I understand, to work differs in important respects from the provisional one and very consider: ably, of course, from the one on. which the Mixed Court used to work during the anomalous period of 1911 to 1926. Consular officials are_no longer to have the right of watching proceedings. The Chinese judges will sit by themselves. On the other hand, a legal representative of the Municipal Council is to have the right of being pri in which the Council is complainant at proceedings in which the Couneit considers that the interests of the International Settlement are involve td, while the orders of the Court will pass through a foreign head 2f the Judicial Police before their exccation, the foreign head being nominated by the Municipal Council. A further safeguard is the appointment of two foreigners and two Chinese, to whom questions concerning, the interpretation of the application of the present agreement be referred. The gaols are to Te-main practically as. before, the maintenance remaining with thi Council and the Chinese having ight of inspection. "A branch of the High Court will function as a Court Appeal, final lying to the Supreme Court at Nanking. The to be effective for Mr, Dodwell passed to the question of, smuggling at Hongkong and to measures for its prevention understood to be under consideration, The smuggling was in part due, he said, to the increas Customs duties, and it was highly;|desirable, both in China's interests and those of Hongkong, that a sat factory solution of the technical and quasi-political questions involved should be reached. Some of these: presented considerable difficulty, of an order, however, which patience and a wise perception of mutual interests should succeed in overcome ing.
The Chairman then dealt with the! Associntion's accounts, outlining, suggestions regarding augmentation of resources.
Sir Francis Aglen said:
It is no part of a seconder's duty to paint the lilies of the Chairman. He has given a most complete exposition of the Association's activies and business and no words from me are necessary. The feeling T have about the work of the Association during the past year is that we have been cutting ice, especially in connection with the vexed questions of extraterritoriality and the Hongkong Customs Agreement. In both eases, I think we have done good work, Perhaps I am rather partial to the Hongkong Agreement, because I took a considerable part in abortive negotiations that took place, I think it would be the very. greatest mistake on the yarr of Great Britain if we failed to put that deal through and, if we could possibly see our Way to fall in with the Chinese wishes in regard to Article 5, T think it would be to the advantage of every-tone. I hope the new Governor, when arrives in Hongkong, will, if posible, do something in that conneeion.
should like to endorse the Chairman's remarks about there being a better understanding at -the
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.