THE, 20th ennuat general meeting of members. of the Shanghi General Chamber of Commerce will be held in the rooms.of the Chamber, No, 17 The Bund, Shanghai, on March 23 at 4.30 p.m. to receive the committee's report and accounts for the year 1936 anid to elect a committee.
In their report for 1936, the comrhittee, comprising Messrs. H.W, P, McMeekin (chairman), P, H, Bordwell, J. Cochet, Fette: ly, C. S, Franklin, R. Gordon, A. C, Leith, W. H. Lock, U. M. Tavella, T. Urabe, W. Weber and J. R. Weeks, pointing out that the roll. of members numbered 111 as against 108 on December 31, 1935, state The diary of events in China during the year 1936, to be included 'a8 usual In the Chamber's year book, sels forth in chronological order the many events of Importance arising throughout the country. The rap-brochement between Nanking and Canton was consummated during the year und unification with the South~ west may now be considered complete.
Uncertainty prevailed in the north and northwest and culminated in the Sian coup in December, when Gen. Chiang Kai-shek was detained, for several days by rebellious military leaders who, whilst desiring the Government's closer amliation with, Communist leaders in the northwest, demanded military action against Japan, Tension was eased with the release of the Generalissimo and the subsequent defection of Gen. Chang Hisueh-liang and his troops from the ranks of the rebels, "An agreement was eventually reached between the government and Gen, Yang Hu-cheng, thus avoiding a military conflict, "The autonomous government in North China sponsored by the Japa-neve in power army the year, Kerk at eterzann Poa Beye et wel inci a Ste Se aria Sor ud ie Elna Here it set Sub te cute cee eat chy "ae Ste Serine ieee at a lar ae lat ist o's te see Cishme Revenue for 198 a Fics ator inc oP aah ora tt dae unprecedented' scale continues "unabated in that area; and the situa-_ tion is further aggravated "by the fact that the Customs Preventive Service continues to be precluded from operating normally in the called ""Demilltarized Zone."
The service (1) of the" Anglo-German Loan of 1898, (2) the Boxer: Indemnity obligations and (3) of the 1913 Reorganizations Loan has been met in full from the Customs re~ venue during the year at a total cost $76,728,395.72 as, compared with $68,400,988.31 expended on foreign Joan and Indemnity account "during 1035, The service of tha American Wheat and Flour Loan of 1931 and of the American Cotton and Wheat Loan of 1933, which were converted into a single obligation under the terms. of the Consolidation Note of 'May 28, 1936, was met in full from the collection' of Flood Relief Surtax, at a total cost of $8,402,063.37.
'A total sum of $129,173,600.18 has} been handed over to the National Loans Sinking Fund Administrative Commission for the service of internual loans secured on the Customs revenue, Obligations under this heading' include: 1—the 25th Year Consolidation 'Loan' of "$1,460,000,000 Gwhich was issued on February 1, 1036, for the conversion and amortization of outstanding Issues); 2.—the 25th" Year Recovery Loan of '$340,000,000 (which was" issued on March 1, 1930); 3—the 17th Year Long-term Currency Loan (which was not included in the conversion scheme referred to above).
It should be nolod that subsequent to the selzire in mid-I032 of. the Customs establishments at the Man~ churian ports, no quota has been made available to the Government from that region, or from Dairen, towards the payment of the various Toan and" indemnity obligations secured on the Customs revenue.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.