THE CHINA MAIL, APRIL 10, 1940
FALL IN STERLING NOT AS
Go Empress! SIGN OF WEAKNESS
on your way to Canada United States Europe
via
Shanghai-Japan-Honolulu
NEXT SAILING FROM HONG KONG the thIRD WEEK
IN APRIL (Omitting Honolulu) •
NEXT SAILING. TO MANILA THIS WEEK.
Due to existing emergency, the consistency of prompt depar- tures and arrivals of Canadian Pacific Steamships which has been maintained heretofore may be disturbed. Apply to Canadian Pacific representative for particulars of sailing dates,
or
Fast through trains direct from ship's side at Vancouver. stop-over at Beautiful Victoria thence by comfortable, fast B.C. Coast Services to Vancouver-In Canada's . Evergreen Playground. See the Majestic Canadlan Röckles., Lake Louise, Banff. Stop-.
when overs if you wish. No extra rallfare is required in Canada Drawing room or Compartment is occupied by one person.
In summer the scenic Great Lakes Route is an optional infand-sea trip for Trans-Continental passengers.
UNION BUILDING Telephone 20752
Canadian Pacific
WORLD'S GREATEST TRAVEL · 'SYSTEM
•
PRESIDENT LINER
Sailings
TRANS-PACIFIC SERVICE
То
SAN FRANCISCO & LOS ANGELES Via Shanghai, Japan & Honolulu ROUND-WORLD SERVICE To
NEW YORK & BOSTON Via Manila, Singapore, Penang, Colombo, Bombay, Suez, Port Said, Alexandria, Naples, Genoa, and Marseilles.
✰✰ AMERICAN ★ ★
PRESIDENT LINES
ROUND-WORLD SERVICE,”
AGENTS FOR TWA, AND UNITED AIR LINES.
12, Pedder Street.
Telephone 28171.
IF YOU ARE TOO BUSY TO WRITE HOME
hist Post a Copy of the Oberland China Mail which gives all the News there IS
Bott" Local and Coastal
DON'T
London, To-day.
REPLYING TO A QUESTION in the Commons yes- terday about the recent trend »of Sterling, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir John Simon, de- clared the recent fall in the unofficial rate for Sterling on foreign markets was in no way a sign of British financial weakness or difficulties.
It was a natural result of the recent regulations pro- viding that exports of tin, rubber and certain other commodities must be paid for in foreign currencies or in Sterling obtained from authoris- ed dealers.
The fall in the quotation was inci- |ing became a very thin market and a cidently the result of the tightening of thin market was always erratic and the-exchange control.
fluctuating.
+
:
Sir John Simon added: **If our general policy is sound," as I am con- vinced it is, we must not be deflected from it by secondary consideration. the greater part of sterling By far transactions are carried through at the the official rate. I am satisfied that
of transactions carried
The fall was limited to a very small proportion of Sterling, namely, that held by such foreigners as choose to dispose of it to another foreigner at the rate current on foreign markets.
The proportion of transactions out- side the official market is much smál- ler "still if allowance is made for the fact that a very great proportion of proportion our purchases are made from Sterling through outside the official market is and franc using areas and do not-in-very small. I think it would be volve the intervention of foreign cur- wrong policy altogether to intervene rencies at all.
in support of sterling in the free mar- ket.-British Wireless..
SUGGESTION 'NOT ACCEPTED
Dealing with the suggestion that Britain should block Sterling assets belonging to foreigners, Sir John said on a balanced review of all the con- sideration involved we choose not to put an embargo upon foreign money or securities held in Britain, exposing ourselves thereby to the risk that some foreign holders would use their freedom to dispose of their Sterling assets. That had not happened to any substantial extents
"Sterling is good to hold and I be- lieve this oplaton is spreading neutral countries.”
Reuter.
FALL VERY LIMITED
in
Sterling, said Sir John, was the basic currency of vast areas in many parts of the world and the problem of con- trol was thereby rendered both more important and more difficult.
to
d
THE STOCK MARKET
London, To-day.
The Stock Exchange remained steady yesterday despite the Nor- thern European developments.
Initially prices were lowered as a precaution but a partial . recovery final subsequently took place and quotations were mostly only slightly below the previous day's close.
Scandinavian issues were nominal but no selling pressure was visible.
Extension of the hostilities acted as bullish influence on the commodity markets. Tin, rubber and cotton were all very firm on general buying. Wall Street was irregular and sub- sequently higher.--Reuter,
This fall was limited to a very small that proportion of sterling, namely, held by such foreigners as chose dispose of it to another foreigner at the rate current on foreign markets. Our policy was to maintain the purchasing power of sterling for the nation's needs and we had arranged that the vast bulk of transactions between sterling and other currencies should be conducted in London through our control and at our official rates.
That might have the incidental re-ing 25 officers, 80 petty officers and sult that any outside märket for sterl-121 ratings.
U-BOAT PRISONERS
London, To-day. There are now 228 U-boat prison- ers of war in Great Britain, compris-
Reuter.
TRAVEL A.-O. LINE
TO
AUSTRALIA
CALLING AT MANILA, THURSDAY ISLAND, CAIRNS, TOWNSVILLE, BRISBANE, SYDNEY AND MELBOURNE, ETC.
NEXT SAILING.
FIRST HALF OF APRIL, 1940.
For Freight or Passage, upplys
BUTTERFIELD & SWIRE
Agents
Hong Kong China
ban:
Tel: 30332
a