(Edttor "North-China Daily News," 1911-1930)
London, May 17. annual meeting of the China Association, held in the beautiful board room of the P, & O., with its many serene portraits of dignitaries of the great company from its earliest days, was well attended and marked by a very forceful speech from the chairman, Mr. G. Warren Swire.
He argued strongly for decisive action by the Government against Japanese encroachments on British interests in China, suggesting that "the Government does not seem really to understand the weakness as well as the strength of the Japanese character and, while we all appreciate the irrefutable objections to a policy of bluff that is no reason for being bluffed,"
He also spoke strongly on the intolerable conditions in Hankow and on the Yangtze and the increasingly grave state of British trade in North China, where, it would really appear, only firm retaliation action can work a cure, An urgent plea was put forward by one member for more publicity by the Committee in the shape of letters to "The Times." He pointed out that most of the publicity about China is at present conducted by organizations of a somewhat "left wing" complexion and it was surely advisable that che China Association, composed of men who knew the Chinese intimately, should speak out plainly from time to time, not only in defence of British interests, but in sympathy with the Chinese to protest against the masse sacring of helpless civilians by the Japanese air raids, Three New Members Three new members appear on the Committee, Sir George Moss, lately Consul-General in Hankow; Mr, G. M. Lodwell, who take the place of the late Mr. Lil A. J. Macray; and Mr. E. J. Davies, of the Hongkong Shanghai Bank, who takes the place of Mr. O. J. Barnes, retired. The other Committee men are—
Messrs. R. G. Buchan, A. H. For B. Kennett, "A. O. Long, Leigh, H. W., Looker, Lieut..
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.