Passing on to the future of British trade in China, Sir Victor voiced the opinion that no one could tell what was going to happen. It depended on what the conditions were foing to de in the future, His per= sonal opinion, however, was that prospects were bright. country by assisting her to bring in machinery and materials, These would be pald for in the form of exports of goods from China, and the construction of railways and roads from Burma was going to make it easier for the products of China to {go throughout the world.
The advent of these loans was not surprising when one considered that many. of the Japanese held the opinion that all the goods of China should go to Japan or should only go abroad it the Japanese were to ive the benefit of foreign currency. The result was that China was look-Ing for another outlet for her goods and the money would de used to find that outlet, thus bringing benefits not only to Great Britain but to other countries as well Not "Shivering"
Dealing with a statement made by the Japanese press that during the attack' on. Canton Sir Victor" was. "shivering" because of his vast interests there, he stated that such a statement would naturally not create an atmosphere which was going 10 make Great Britain and Want to rush to help Jo} time 1 was. in Butope." he added, "and in spite of my interests in Shanghai {I have very few in Canton), my mind was more concerned with the European situation at that time."
Jocularly remarking "T don't know how I should have felt, had f been in Canton at the time," Sir Victor told the reporter that he had been the World War and had been bombed and he hoped that his demean our would have been such 90 38 not to make his friends ashamed. There was no doubt he would have been frightened as he was during the War but he hoped he would have been able to disguise this a Ite, at Toast some of the Japanese would come to a head, and it was his view that the help of Great Britain and other countries would be necessary for the reconstruction of the country, and there would "be plenty of business available, of which Great Britain would get her share.
Here he pointed a warning finger at those who wore trying to conduct trading by means of government monopolies, stating that these would discourage' initiative on the part of British merchants. Once they ceased to take any interest it would be dimeult to bring them back after= wards. "It old merchants are frozen out by means of these Chinese Government monopolies it will give a bad Impression at Home although the continuance. of the monopolies may have been necessary temporarily," he continued, There. were groat possibilities for development in China, he continued, available to Chinese, Japanese and foreigners alike, The development of the country would benefit every-ady unless, of course, the foreigner felt that "he would. not be given a Saquare deal" If he felt that there was a chance of his being frozen out there would be no incentive to risk capital in the country, "The Chinese must realize," he added, "that they cannot take' advantage of the pioneer work of the foreigners and rive' them out without adequate compensation." If it was felt that "square dear" it was more than ike-that industrial experts from other countries would build successful new Industries "in China, Today' there was a great deal of money lying Idle Because the owners were afraid to vse it
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.