Trade Obstacles To the Editor of the "Normt-Cunea Darty News"
Sim—The future of China's trade Jig always an interesting subject, but from what can be judged from the (we years or so the Chinese are acting against their own interests and without thought for the future.
Let me lay before you the following facts relating to the Chinese "aw silk and tea exports. For more than '70 years our traders in Shanghai have done everything possible to help the Chinese in selling their products During this time we have always conducted our business affairs with the utmost regard for Chinese in" tereats og well as for our own. During the last ye years, and especially during the last two, owing to un~ reasonable suspicion and rivalry among the local Chinese merchants, all business has been completely disorganized. 'The local silk and tea merchants who were supplying for~ ign firms, desirous of making direct contact with buyers abroad, have done everything in their power to stop the foreigners' business, thus causing general damage all round. The silk trade has been killed and fea will soon be the same condition. It is unnecessary to say anything here about the Balance of Trade—it is obvious to all, Chinese silk: and tea merchants have Jost millions and gained nothing, and from the look of this season things fe going from bad to worse. As for ther trades, T leave them to the Chinese Chamber of Commerce and merchants.
AN Exronren, Shanghai, Sept. 17.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.