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3.
my m
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return whence they came and it is more than probable that the
" mind
Nippon Kissen Kaisha have not established a regular service
between Formosa and Chinese coast ports and Canton under the
guise of "Japanese Government Chartered Vessels". While the se
reports do not seem to indicate any very considerable importation
of Japanese goods for sale, they are, as I have said, necessarily
incomplete, and it is obvious that some Japanese trade, both
imports and exports, is being done. With regard to imports, it
is possible that most are being stored against the day when
trade in Canton is resumed, when presumably the market will
suddenly be flooded with free Japanese imports which have been
stored against that day with the object of underselling any
duty paid goods which may then be able to enter the market.
There is very considerable activity both at Whampoa and Honam
point, and at both places large quantities of goods are stored.
It is unfortunately impossible to say for certain whether these
are genuine military requirements or whether they are goods for
eventual sale. The probabilities are that the position is gener-
ally as indicated in para. 7 of my despatch No.9 under reference.
The local press claims that, apart from officials, there are
now 4415 Japanese residents at Canton.
8•
I had occasion a few days ago to complain to Mr.
Okazaki regarding his refusal (so far) to agree (a) to the
importation of certain building and repair materials required
by Messrs. Asiatic Petroleum Company and Butterfield & Swire,
and (b) for the export of some bamboo poles required for the
Naval Dockyard at Hongkong. He said that he must first be
persuaded that the former (importations) were necessary,
and
The
that the latter transaction (export) was "very difficult".
reasons which he gave were that he could not even bring in the
necessary building materials for his own Consulate-General,
while Japanese merchants could not get permission from him to
export, for example, blackwood furniture to the value of ¥240,000
/ which
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