35
Visit Returned
Gen. Huang's response to the toast was delivered in Cantonese and interpreted by Col. Li Fong, who stated:
We have come from Canton to re- turn the visit of His Excellency the Governor, Sir Andrew Caldecott, and it is most kind of you to enter- trin us SO warmly to-night, for
.ch we have to thank you heartily. Last year the members of the Hong- kong General Chamber of Commerce visited Canton, and the arrange- ments made for you at our end were so imperfect in comparison with your liberal hospitality to-night that we feel rather ashamed of ourselves.
re-
Your Chairman, in his speech, has just showered praise on our country and on us but I feel that we do not deserve such laudation. His marks on the economic depression and trade development we feel we can endorse, and we are willing to make a common effort to secure their early realisation.
Our sages say "He who expects of others must himself be expected." This is true and if we desire mutual existence and mutual prosperity we must seek co-operation and work for mutual benefits. Let us then hope for the future prosperity of Hong- kong and Canton.
Warm Welcome
Mr. Tseng, responding, said:
I am happy to tell you how much we appreciate your warm welcome to-night and how deeply we have been impressed by the remarkable programme you have made for us. As a result of our visit here we have made personal contacts
with your high government officials and we have had to-night the opportunity of meeting you, which will no doubt further cement the ties of friendship between Hongkong and Canton. must thank you for the complimen- tary remarks
your Chairman
I
has
just made in regard to the progress which China has achieved in recent years, and I want to take this oppor- tunity of emphasising that this is just the beginning of our industrial expansion and economic reconstruc- tion. We have carried out only a very small part of Dr. Sun Yat-sen's programme for international recon- struction and a great deal has yet to be accomplished. Dr. Sun Yat-sen's plans provided for the construction within 10 years of 1,000,000 miles of highways and 100,000 miles of rail- roads, but to-day in this country we have
kilometres of only 100,000 highways and 11,000 kilometres of railway lines, less than a tenth of what we should have had, and woe- fully inadequate.
In the heavy industries we have made practically
start. no
The progress that has been made in the last decade has been achieved in spite
of the formidable, indeed, almost, insuperable difficulties within and without.
On the eve of our great com- mercial and industrial expansion we need foreign sympathy and support and we want to give everyone a
chance to share in that advance.
Assistance From Abroad
assistance
We welcome economic from the advanced industrial nations. As we have a population of over 450,000,000 China indisputable is the biggest market in the world. I think you will agree with me that China's properity will be a tremen- dous aid to world trade and economic recovery. If the purchasing power of our people is so increased that every Chinese can afford to but $100 worth of merchandise each year, nations will have no need to worry that their manufactured goods will not find a ready market.
In recent years China has suffered from the a great hardship arising
3
deprivation of valuable territory, internal turmoil, national calamity
and financial and economic disor- ganisation due to America's silver purchasing policy all of which ser- ved as obstacles to threaten the in- dustrial development and thus affect investments.
Canton has embarked on an ex- tensive programme of conomic re- construction and we seek your co- operation in carrying out our pro- jects. We have made our plans for the development of the harbour, communications and transportation services: we are proceeding with out Whampoa port development scheme which I believe will be ad- vantageous to South China and will help the prosperity that is so earnest- ly desired both by you and ourselves. I assure you that we are prepared to take the necessary steps to se- cure the removal of former obstacles to development (Applause). We are making a genuine effort to abolish unequal taxes, stamp out monopolies as well as other impediments to trade between our two cities.
I note with gratification several steps taken by Hongkong towards closer co-operation, including the granting of facilities to Chinese mer- chant vessels and to Chinese mail and passenger aircraft. It is our firm hope that this spirit of co- operation will be continued and you have our assurance that your friendly gesture will be fully re- ciprocated. (Applause).
Mr. Ho Tsap-ping Mr. Ho Tsah-ping said:
I am so much impressed by the i splendid reception you are giving us that I find considerable difficulty in expressing my thanks to you in proper terms.
On May 25 last year, I presided over a gathering of the representa- tives of business interests of Hong- kong and Canton, in the building of Canton City Chamber of Commerce, the British Goodwill Mission, of which some of the gentlemen present were members, being the guests of honour.
I even went so far as to remark that the businessmen of Hongkong and
Canton lacked the kind of intimacy which helps to promote their confidence in one another. For instance, some British firms are too cautious in dealings with the Can- tonese people, and consequently the latter have to seek elsewhere for easier terms and more favourable conditions. I therefore attached great weight to the constant touch among the business representatives of the two trading centres, and pro- posed that exchange of information and suggestions would improve trade and credit. I have the pleasure to tell you that my guests and friends agreed with me in this point. Canton and Hongkong mutually dependent ports. It needless to say that Hongkong, which is in some way privileged to give financial and technical help to Canton, has the greatest interest in its industrial and commercial deve- lopments. The unification of China, the completion of the Hankow- Canton Railway, the reformations effected by the Canton Government, such as the abolition of the exorbitant taxes, are beneficial to trade. I feel that prosperity is at hand; the more so when we can establish intimacy among ourselves by frequent re- ceptions like this.
are
is
Sir Frederick Leith-Ross shares the same opinion with me, and suggested to me personally in Canton that the leading business men of Hongkong and Canton should organize a per- manent Trade Commission to promote their trade interest. He said that the Chambers of Commerce of our cities would take charge of its or- ganization. Similar Trade Commis- sions exist in Shanghai and work with good results.
Mr. Chairman and gentlemen, be-
|
fore I sit down, I wish to draw your attention to Sir Frederick's sugges- tion, and ask you to accept my very sincere thanks for the hospitality you are showing us this evening.
The Hosts
members
of the
The following Chamber of Commerce and China Association (Hongkong Branch) were present as hosts:
Mr. D. G. Glenn Allen; The Ad- vertising & Publicity Bureau, Ltd., (Mr. C. J. Church); Messrs. Ander- son, Meyer & Co., Ltd., (Mr. D. D. Forbes); The Arnhold Trading .Co., (Mr. E. G. C. Belbin); The Asiatic Petroleum Co., (South China) Ltd., (Mr. J. W. Platt); Messrs. James H. Backhouse, Ltd., (Mr. J. Harrop and Mr. H. S. Dinsdale); The Bank Line, (Mr. A. H. Penn); The Bank of East Asia Ltd., (Mr. Kan Tong Po and Mr. Li Tse Fong); The Banque de L'Indochine, (Mr. F. de Cour- seulles); Messrs. Bornemann & Co., (Mr. V. E. Feimann); The British- American Tobacco Co., (China) Ltd., (Brig. General E. B. Macnaghten, C.M.G., D.S.O., and Mr. F. Satfford Smith); Messrs. Butterfield & Swire, (Sir John Nicholson, Mr. J. R. Masson and Mr. C. C. Roberts); The Canadian Pacific Steamships,
(Mr.
G. E. Costello); The Canton In- surances Office, Ltd., (Mr. F. C. Hall); Messrs. Caldbeck Macgregor & Co., Ltd., (Mr. T. Addis Martin); Messrs. Carmichael & Clark, (Mr. T. H. G. Brayfield); The Chartered Bank of India, Australia & China, (Mr. A. Brearley and Mr. H. C. Hopkins); Messrs. Chau Yue Teng (Mr. Mok Tat-huen); The China Light & Power Co., Ltd., (Mr. D. W. Munton and Mr. L. Kadoorie); Messrs. China. Underwriters, Ltd., (Mr. H. R. Sturt); The Dairy Farm, Ice & Cold Storage Co., Ltd.,
(Mr. A. Stevenson); Messrs. Davie, Boag & Co., Ltd., (Mr.
W. A. Stewart); Messrs. Dodwell & Co., Ltd., (The Hon. Mr. S. H. Dodwell and Mr. U. Sze Wing); The Dollar Steamship Line (Mr. B. K. Carpenter); The Dunlop Rubber Co., (Mr. F. C. Young and Mr. R. C. Webb); The East Asiatic Co., Ltd., (Mr. H. E. Nielsen); Messrs. Fung Tang (Mr. Fung Kong Un); Messrs. Furness (Far East) Ltd., (Mr. C. C. Black); The General Electric Co., Ltd., (Mr. A. B.
Raworth); Messrs. Gibb, Livingston & Co., Ltd., (Mr. N. M. Currie); Messrs. Gilman & Co., Ltd., (Mr. G. Miskin and Mr. C. Blaker); Messrs. A. Goeke & Co., (1935) Ex- port (Mr. A. Foraita); The Green Island Cement Co., Ltd., (Mr. T. C. T. Beck and Mr. R. Taylor); Messrs. T. M. Gregory & Co., (Mr. T. M. Gre- gory); The Hongkong Steamboat Co., (Mr. T. F. Lo); The Hongkong & China Gas Co., Ltd., (Mr. H. E. Stone); The Hongkong Kowloon Wharf & Godown Co., Ltd., (Mr.
F. H. Crapnell); The Hongkong & Shanghai Banking Corporation (Mr. V. M. Grayburn, Mr. D. C. Edmond- ston and Mr. A. Morse); The Hong- kong & Shanghai Hotels, Ltd., (Mr. P. H. Suckling and Mr. F. C. Barry);} The Hongkong Whampoa Dock Co., Ltd., (Mr. E. Cock); The Hongkong Canton Export Co., Ltd.. (Mr. Kam
Cheong Yan); The Hongkong Elec- tric Co., Ltd., (Mr. V. Sorby); The Hongkong Telephone Co., Ltd.. (Mr. J. P. Sherry); The Hongkong Tram- ways, Ltd., (Mr. W. F. Simmons); Messrs. Himly, Ltd., (Mr. Chan Yin and Mr. Chan Hon); Messrs. J. D. Hutchison & Co., (Mr. P. S. Cassidy); The Imperial Chemical Industries (China) Ltd., (Mr. R. D. Gillespie); The Indo China Steam Navigation Co., Ltd., (Mr. C. T. Tod); The Jardine Engineering Corporation Ltd., (Mr. A. Kidd); Messrs. Jardine Matheson & Co., Ltd., (Hon. Mr. J. J. Paterson and Mr. D. L. Newbiggin); The Java- China-Japan Line (Mr. W. H. Lebert); Messrs. Jebsen & Co., (Mr. J. H. Jessen); Messrs. Johnson.