CFIDENTIAL.
GERMAN AGENTS FOR BRITISH MANUFACTURES
IN CHINA.
544
Mr. Girardet, the head of the British firm of
Reisa and Company, has just returhed from Hongkong. He
has been making enquiries into the position of those
German piece-goods firms in Hongkong whose business
is now being liquidated under orders from the
Government. He has gathered the impression that they
have been working on a system of such extensive credits
that it was impossible for legitimate British business
The case of Melchers and
to compete with them,
Company is cited as a specific instance.
This firmu
has been doing extensive business with goods supplied
by the Calico Printers' Association.
Every effort has
been made to conceal the British origin of the goods
offered to the Chinese, and the business has been done
on long credits and on terme which appear to show
barely a 1% margin. Mr. Girardet is of opinion
that
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