The Archive · 1938

Discrimination Against British Cigarettes

Peiping, Nov. 10.

1 is understood' that repre~ sentations are being made to the authorities concerned by British tobacco interests, who have been hit by an adverse tax at Kalgan, All neutral-shipped cigarettes centering the territory under the Japanese-sponsored Mongolian government are charged a high import tax, while only 60 per cent. of this tax is levied on Japanese products—Reuter. structures in Hankow were dynamited, Col, Hamada was reported to have said, liable property was, demolished, leaving Intact only small houses.

Third-party nationals, Col. Hamada was said to have continued, reaped huge profits in a "get-rich-quick" scheme under which they entered into contracts with Chinese property owners for the hurried registration of various valuable buildings, which then were marked with foreign insignia so as to prevent the Japanese forces from using them as billets. High fees were exacted from the Chinese by the foreigners who assumed nominal ownership of such Properties.

Foreigners in Hankow, Col. Hamada was quoted as saying, gave high praise to the rigid discipline of the Japanese forces which carried out the occupation of the city. Conditions in Hankow, the Japanese officer added, were fast being restored to normal. Chinese street vendors, he was quoted as saying, were already plying their trade on the pavements outside the Japanese Army Press bureau.

Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.

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