The position of European business has gradually worsened, especially as fo agriculture, while on the other hand the mining and manufacturing Industry has shown satisfactory. results, Immediate prospects, he added, are not hopeful, as, owing to the extension of the war to the Near: East, it can be expected that other considerable markets will fall out. Furthermore stock-forming in the: United States will not be maintained in 1942 on the same scale as now, which will unfavourably affect the export of rubber and tin, In addi~ tion, the need of shipping space ives much trouble.
About the future of the sugar Position, the bank president declared, Titlle colld be forecast with certainty, but'even in the most favourable case sales in 1041/42 will remain con siderably under those of last year, so that further increases in Java stocks are inevitable, 'This factor, however, was taken' into account when the crop for 1942 was fixed at 1,450,000 tons.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.