No.253.
Retour(e) 6.7.01.
RIGHT HONOURABLE
Sir,
643
20104
K
Government House,
Hongkong, 11th July, 1901.
I have the honour to inform you that a copy of your Circular despatch of 30th March, 1901, with the enclosure received here on the 5th instant, was forwarded to the Committee of the Chamber of Commerce. I attach a copy of the reply of the Secretary, which is interesting as showing that the local Chamber of Commerce cannot be regarded as an Association devoted to the furtherance of British interests.
2.
There is much force in the Notes appended to the Report of the Departmental Committee of the Board of Trade by Sir James Mackay and Mr Holland, but we must not forget that our greatest European rival is rapidly expanding her trade by the means now proposed and by the free use of bounties and subsidies. It remains to be seen whether the system of collectivism as opposed to British individualism is economically sound. Its initial results are very apparent in the Far East.
JOSEPH CHAMBERLAIN, M.P.
*0.. &0.
3.
I shall endeavour to obtain as far as possible