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kong, men, gentlemon, who by their position ahow themselves as worthy successors to their great predecessors. (Loud applause.) I think we have a right to ask that our views should be transmittel Home. (Applause.)
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tually be handed hack to her, and we know Germans today are tolerated and trading in Shanghai. I maintain then to exclude them. from this Colony only would be a suicidal policy. (Voice-No, no.) It may be said that we have got on very well and prospere without thom during the war-granted-bui shall we not do so to a greater degree on their return? (Voice No.) Nor do I think we have much to fear for our trade from their competition for many years to come, particularly in view of the statement which has been put forward that they will have to compete without the banking and discount facilities in London which they formerly en joyed. It will be within the memory of many of you that some years ago an attempt was marle through this Chamber to establis bimetallism in this Colony. It was found, however, that unless China would come into line, this could not be done, and the scheme had to be abandoned. As this Chamber itself in its letter to the Government when consider ing the Recommendations of the Economie Conference of the Allies regarding the com mercial and industrial policy to he adoptel throughout the Empire after the War, wrote, "Hongkong is essentially a great shipping port and trade emporium and as such cannot be dissociated from the neighbouring State of
The Hon. Sir PAUL CHATER then said: Gentlemen, while I yield to none it my detestation and horror of the Germans and the unspeakable atrocities committed by that nation since the commencement of the War, at the same time I cannot find myself in accord with the suggestion" that it is in the best interest of the Colony of Hongkong that persons of German nationality should be excluded therefrom for a period of at least 10 years following the declaration of peace, and that subsequently they be admitted into the Colony under strict licence" save and except under conditions which are, I am convincel, beyond the bound of practical politics, namely, that the same stand be adoptel and maintained by all the Allies in the Far East-France, Russia, Japan and most particularly China-given these con- ditions, then I am with you. Except under these conditions to exclude the Germans from our Colony would be merely to drive them to neighbouring trade centres, where once established they would prove a serious menace to our welfare and trade (Voice-China, which indeed provides the most in No no)-not to mention the loss of bonefits portant Held for Hongkong enterprise. What to be derived from the use of our Harbour ever Imperial policy is adopted for the by their shipping, and of shipping under future in the interest of Hongkong provisio their control. (Voice-Bot. They have no must be made for its peculiar relationship shipping. Who wrote it) I deem it inex with China and no measures should be take pedient that I should here mention in detail which would be likely to be detrimental to places they could (except and unless China the further expansion of the import and ex tides with us) so establish themselves in our port trade with China; any Tariff Regula immedicato neighbourhood. They must be tions should provide for this circumstance as well known to you all as to me, but I shall All this goes to support my contention that be only too pleased to give my views in full without the support and co-operation d to your Committee if and when they wish. Chins any such suggestion as that nor It has been argued that with no coaling before us must prove futile and react to our facilities on the way German shipping will detriment. (Voice-No, no.) Gentleme find a difficulty in reaching these distant the question under discussion is to my mind waters, but can we for a moment suppose | essentially one of Imperial policy. We hav that she will not find means to overcome this been asked by the Home Government for as difficulty What about the use of oil fuel in expression of our opinion as a guide to our place of coal It would be easy enough for representative at the forthcoming Imperial steamers using oil to reach Dutch ports in Conference, and in giving forth such an the East Indies and there replenish their opinion we must be careful not to let our stock for the further voyage to China, justly incensed hatred of the atrocities com Russian ports in the North and Japan. That mitted by our enemies and our sentiment China has at the moment broken off diplo- for the sufferings imposed upon our fellor matic relations with Germany we all know, countrymen and Allies to obscure our sourd and I trust that the day is not far distant and well-considered judgment. Comm when she will be numbered amongst our sense tells us that so soon as she is able t Allies; but to imagine for a moment that do so Germany will open up trade through when peace is established she will continue out the world, and for us to attempt to far to decline to trade with her is to my mind her from trade with or through this Colony, absurd. I have read that the German Con- without, as I have already said, the aid a cassions at Tientsin, Hankow and elsewhere, co-operation of our neighbours, would be now being taken care of by China, will even-hopeless, and far from our best interests
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a Colony.
Briefly, then, while no one | ed William Keswick can by any stretch of would be more pleased than myself to see the imagination be construed into an insult to dermans excluded from this Colony for the the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce period suggested, it can only be successfully or its Committee." I was not personally done provided we have the hearty, steadfast present in the Council Chaniber, but I have co-operation of China and the neighbouring carefully read the various reports of the debate countries, and I suggest, therefore, that there in our local Press, and with all due respect I should be embodied in any recommendation
say I cannot agree with H. E. No unprejud- of this nature forwarded to the Home Gov iced person, to my mind, could come to any nerment such a proviso. (Voice-No.) other conclusion than that some of H. E.'s re- marks, to say the loast, lacked that courtesy which I think this Chamber is entitled to expect from the Government. In face of H. E's concluding words-those I have just read to you personally do not believe that any studied insult or even discourtesy was intend- el. I take that view the more readily as it seems to me incredible that the Governor, no matter how strongly he was opposed to our views, would wish to make such disparaging remarks about the members of the coinmunity chosen by you for your Committee, inen who whatever their qualifications, have been en- trusted by their fellows with the management of business, concerns controlling millions of dollars, and who, I submit, further, have taken a very responsible share in guiding those eon- ceras safely and successfully through the greatest crisis in history. (Applause.) And yet, gentlemen, what other inference can one draw If any of you do not agree with me in this I hope you will get up and say so. I would remind you that the account of the proceedings in the Legislative Council is like- ly to be widely read, not only in the Far East, and it is the construction put upon the report by that public which we have to con- sider. I therefore feel very strongly that if we do not take exception to the words used by His Excellency we should lose not only our self-respect, but our right to be taken seriously hereafter by any commercial body, and more particularly by the Hongkong Government itself. (Applause.) Gentlemen, beg to move the following resolution:-That
The Hon. Mr. P. H. HOLYOAK-As the men- ber of the Chamber who proposed this res- olution, I will exercise my prerogative and reply to Sir Paul Chater's remarks. I have purposely avoided dwelling upon the subject of shipping for the very reason that obvious ly the interests of this Colony and other parts of the Empire must be bound up in- separably with that of shipping, and should it so happen that France and Italy should open their ports to German shipping after the war, longkong also must admit them within its port. And in reply to the fear he expresses with regard to China, that the prevention of the return of Germans for a certain period would do untold harm in our trade with China and Japan, I trust that be fore very long China, too, will have entered the fell against the foes of humanity. (Applause.) And, if they do, these economic reasons do not apply, because she will come equally into line with the rest of the Allies in deciding what shall be done with German trade after the war, and we shall be inseparably bound up with her. (Applause.) So I think we need not seriously consider that argument against the proposition as the present mo- ment, always remembering that we are mere ly expressing views to the Houe Govero- ment which we say we have a right to have considered. Without further words I will put the resolution, unless there is an amend
anent to it.
The resolution was then put to the maceting and was carried with only two dissentients. the Hon. Sir Paul Chater and Mr. Carter.
The CHAIRMAN then declared the resolution carried by an overwhelming majority.
ANOTHER RESOLUTION. Mr. DoDWELL then said:-Gentlemen, there is one further resolution I desire to put to you at this meeting; it has reference to the debate in the Legislative Council on the 19th inst, and to certain remarks made by H. E. the Governor, which were taken exception to by Mr. Holyoak at the time, and with which I feel sure you are all familiar. At the con- clusion of the debate H. E. said: "I have only one remark to make, and that is that I do not think any unprejudiced person would consider that the words I used in reference to the deceased Sir Thomas Jackson and deceas
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the members of this Chamber desire to take exception to the words used by H. E. the Governor at the meeting of the Legislative Council held on Thursday, 19th April last, in speaking to a resolution which sought to convey to the Imperial Authorities the care- fully reasoned and unanimous opinion of the Committee of this Chamber.
At this point Sir Paul Chater left the room. Mr. MONTAGUE EDE, in seconding, said:- Gentlemen, the mover of this Resolution has toll you that in coming to the conclusions at which he has arrived he has been influenced only by the printed reports of the speeches made at theCouncil meeting on the 19th inst. He was not present in the room, and therefore he cannot tell you first-hand what happened. I, gentlemen, was in the room