June 18.
'The American Economic Mission' to China sails to-day for the United States, after spending two valuable months studying conditions here. Strong in its personnel and possessed of much business and administrative experience, the Mission has conducted its inquiry on sound lines. Its members have made good contacts and under the leadership of a striking personality, Mr. Cameron. Forbes, they have effectively re~ resented the best minds of modern America. From the outset it has been made clear that the Mission has been purely unofficial. Unlike the British Mission of 1930, it has not been appointed by any depart~ ment of State. It is comparable rather with the Barnby Mission which visited Japan and Manchuria last winter under the auspices of the Federation of British Industrie: 'Mr. Forbes and his colleagues have been at some pains to point this Jout and they have shown consider-fable discretion in avoiding, political lasness. Nor have they claimed any authority to guide official American' policy. They have been industrious, students of Chinese conditions. They have used the aeroplane—to {the personal embarrassment of some of their party on one occasion—to facilitate rapid cover of this country's immense distances. They have been able to concentrate on this study because they have not been distracted by the problem of politics which would be too formidable subject for such a brief sojourn, jaithough, as China ruefully has learnt, that consideration has not acted as a deterrent to visitors of ess responsibility and prudence. The occasion has been, therefore, well. used by these distinguished Amer-cans of whom it may fairly be said that they have acquired friends Jamong the foreign as well as among the Chinese community. In spite of] the limited means of communica tion there is an astonishingly swift, method of exchanging impressions between port and port here. So, Mr. Cameron Forbes must not be sur-rised to learn that the profundity of his views on economics has been all the more readily accepted because it has been recorded thet he has a special aptitude for discussing polo and the horse-breeding industry.
In a sense it is fortunate for' China that this Mission has been unofficial in character. It has been spared the discomfort of having to. discuss the monetary problem of. China in terms of Washington's purchase of silver. At the same time the Mission has been able, as an. independent instrument of econo-mie investigation, to assess on the spot the exact significance of the protests which have been addressed. to Washington from China since the beginning of 1934. It has, no doubt, absorbed the implications of, China's adverse balance of payments. It has learnt some -of the ing qualities have been finely difficulties in the way of a speedy eventually came to the conclusion redressing of that balance. It has sensed the resentment and disappointment caused by the apparent inability of the American Government to appreciate the direct injury. inflicted on China by the policy. which is being so relentlessly press~ ed upon President Roosevelt by his: jtaskmasters from Nevada and elsewhere. Although China's econo~ mic difficulties are not principally due to America's daring young men on the silver trapeze, but are, in many respects to be traced to inherent disabilities and defects, there can be little doubt that the task of coping with them. has been enormously complicated and impeded by the artificial rise in the price of the metal on which the Chinese dollar is based. The Mission cannot have addressed itself its assigned task of discovering the economic conditions prevailing here, without gaining some such impressions, even if formal recogni tion of them has to remain in [diplomatic seclusion.
For the Mission's two months will have been wasted if the already strong ties of friendship—social, cultural and commercial—between the United States of America and China are not to be strengthened by its labours. Mr. Cameron Forbes. jand his colleagues deserve better treatment than to find, on their return to America, that obstacles jate to be thrown in the way of Jconsolidating the ground which {they have so patiently and skilfully surveyed. America's interests in the Pacific and in the countries bordering on that ocean are admittedly great and jealously chershed by her people. With no coun-{try in that vast region have tradi-{tions of commerce and culture been. firmly established by the United States as with China. The record lof those traditions is honourable and does credit to both parties. It would a tragedy if this group of junoffcial and influential business men could not eventually make their voices bleard in restoration of more satisfactory business relations between China and America. Fortunately they are helped by the circumstance that politically Presi-lent Roosevelt's Government and the.
Chinese Government are on good terms. Moreover, the Chinese people in general have faith in Amer-can friendship, as exemplified in the valuable cultural institutions in which American comradeship has; played a worthy part. So, without endorsing to the full all criticisms of that silver programme, the returning Mission may be able in some way to clear up what is a distressing difference of view. Obviously it has been quite impos-lo, for reasons of propriety, for the Mission to express definite opinions on this important matter during its sojourn here, Lacking authority to pledge the American Government to any action, Mr. Forbes and his colleagues may have felt—and rightly felt—that a gratu-Ito's expression of opinion would less friendly than an_inopporjune breach of hospitality. That. does not imply the belief that, engaged as they have been on an economic inquiry, they have presented closed minds to this silver issue. They may fail to overcome the peculiar perversity of political technique. It is certain that, as. honest and capable inquirers, they will present a true picture of [China's present plight. By so doing they may have a stimulating. influence on the relations which they have earnestly and sincerely. tried to further during their brief and as they admitted last night /-pleasant journey in China,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.