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THE TRADE OF SOUTH CHINA.
THE TRADE OF SOUTH CHINA.
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The prospects are illimitable, for although British traders have been operating in this market for over a century they have, as we have pointed out, only touched the surface of things. Moreover, China is awakening. Railway construction is proceeding slowly, but there are already some thousands of miles of lines in existence and thousands more are contemplated. The need of more roads is realised, and now that there is a chance of a settlement of internal dissensions and an era of peaceful production seems to be at hand, it is probable that the work of building these essential highways will be pushed forward rapidly. The Chinese are going in ever increas- ing numbers to complete their studies in Great Britain, America and Japan, and, in addition to the University recently established in Hongkong, which draws young Chinese from all quarters, a number of educational insti- tutions have been founded, under foreign control, in different parts of China itself. The influence that the graduates from such centres of learning will have upon their fellow- countrymen is incalculable. Many thousands of Chinese who have been members of Labour battalions are returning to China from France and other places where they have been in contact with Europeans. There can be no doubt that these men will exercise great influence in their villages and that upon their return there will be an increased demand for foreign goods of all descriptions. Even now, while in one sense it is true that China may be regarded as terra incognita, it must be remembered that every town of any importance has its own electric light installa- tion and its own newspaper, while every traveller will
confirm the statement that there is a wonderful demand, unsatisfied and to a great extent unvoiced, for all kinds of small industrial plants which can be worked without any great expenditure of capital in the hundreds of small centres of population.
As far as the average manufacturer is concerned this vast country is virgin soil. Most experienced business. men on the China Coast will admit that it is probably the best market in the world still remaining for exploita- tion. There has been no attempt in the past to develop busi- ness upon ordinary modern lines. The British and Ameri- can Tobacco Company, by the employment of scores of agents possessing a full knowledge of many of the dialects spoken and the establishment of a special advertising de- partment, have gradually built up an organisation through which they have been able to introduce their goods direct to the consumer even in the remote parts of the more distant provinces. They, however, stand almost alone and the reward which they have reaped from their enterprise is common knowledge.
It is our desire to act as the link between the mana- facturer and the merchant and the great bulk of the We people in China whom he is endeavouring to reach. have chosen Hongkong and the four great provinces of Kwong Tung, Kwong Sai, Yunnan and Kwei Chau as our field and for trade development in this portion of the country, which contains probably some 50 millions of people, we can guarantee to bring any article before the public iù a way which no other business undertaking can possibly do. Those few merchants who have endeavoured to do direct advertising in a few of the Chinese papers have met with difficulties, so apparently insuperable, that they
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