of getting supplies from Great Britain owing to the 177 pressure of war orders, and lack of tonnage, but lines can be laid down now for the capture
of this trace
› 3 soon as the war is over. Lucn useful pioneering work can be done by a systematic collection of German samples and intelligent enquiries as to German methods of financing, terms of credit and the nature and extent of the various
markets. There is no reason to suppose that all the German imports came from Germany or the United Kingdom and efforts on the part of Exporting Houses in the United King- dom to get into touch with neutral manufacturers who former- ly worked through German firms would probably be fruitful. A propos of this, a local merchant recently told me that he sent home to his correspondents in Great Britian parti- culars respecting such a case in Italy. Instead of trying to capture the immediate business by approaching the Italian manufacturer, the reply was given that enquiries for the particular article (which was Black Italinas for Umbrella covers) would be made from British manufacturers. Nothing more had been heard of the matter.
British merchants in Canton are resentful of the policy which considers nothing but the interests of British manufacturers. They argue with some force that it is better for e British firm in China to get a commissions
on the sale of a foreign roduct, when that product has the market, than to leave the business to a foreign firm. Incidentally it is undeniable that the position of German firms in China was built up to a great extent by these means.
I am indebted to a British firm for the substance
of the following notes on particular imports.
BUTTONS. The Austrian metal and glass qualities which are imported in large quantities in the North of China have given way in recent years to buttons of local manufacture.
Press