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THE CHINA MAIL BRITISH INDUSTRIES' FAIR SUPPLEMENT, MONDAY, MAY 2, 1049,
WHAT THE
1948; was a' red letter year. in the commercial history of Hong Kong. As became the largest and most progressive entrepot in Asin, Hong Kong stepped out of the Far East and participated for the first time in ita history in a trade Fair which is international- ly famous-the British Industries Fair. Although this Fair is primari- My confined to British Industries, one section has been given over to, the countries within the Com- monwealth and the peoples with- In the Commonwealth have been invited to tell the people of Bri- tain and many foreign visitors what they do in the commercial world.
It would have been
easy to meet this request by merely pui- ting on
composite Л
diaplny showing where Hong Kong was and what it did in a general way. ^ Jopographical map would have met the case with supporting photographs with per- haps samples of exhibite from local manufacturers. Yet this would have been a passive con- tribution.
- might have drawn the at- tention of a few visitors who would have nodded approvingly orld passed by on the other side. Such an approach would have been fatal. It would not have shown Hong Kong as a dynamic commercial centre vitally" inter- ested in everything that makes the commercial machine of the world tick. It would not neces- sarily have produced a single order, and it would have ignor- ed one of Hong Kong's chief functions-the salesman in ac- tion. It would not have excited the interest of businessmen and the British Industries Fair is not so much an exhibition catering to the general public but a Fair where businessmen come to buy and some to sell.
Bigger And Better
Fortunately, Hong Копо chose - the dynamic approach. "The stand showed what the Colony did rather than what it Was.
A similar approach will be made this year in a bigger and better way. Too many people in "the world know far too Little 'about us' and this is especially true" of the people in Britain.
I suppose the popular idea in Europo is to regard tropical is- land colonies ns dreamy para- dises where palm trees away and dusky maidens dance to the strains of guitars. They are 'places in which to play or may be to retire, but they are far re moved from the incessant din of modern commerce which
after
all is what keeps the old world turning.
That there should be an island colony where the hooting of
Country.