RECEIVED
SOP FOR REGISTE
TEXTION
C. O. REGY
456.
53865/37
Telegram from the Governor of Hong Kong to the Secretary
of State for the Colonies,
Dated 15th November, 1937, Received 10-3am 15th November,
Immediate.
No. 279. Confidential.
Your telegram No. 237 Trade of the
Colony han show ne decline. On the contrary excluding
treasure total of importe and experts in dollare have been
monthly average January to June 1937,
84,219,000, July 86,379,000 August 93,918,900,
September 104,250,000 These figures largely
C
exceed comparable figures for 1936 but it should
be borne in mind that the Colony le at present handling
a considerable but inestimable
quantity of importe
which normally would have gone direct to Shanghaż,
maximun
British refugees from Shanghai at
number approximately 3,500 women and 300
men majority of whom made private arrangemente but
others were housed and maintained in Government centres,
Maximum in centred 750 present number 402. All have
signed undertaking to refund maintenance charges but
many are chronically destitute. Chinese population
han also increased vary greatly but no useful statistica
are available.
Financial position of the Government
good with revenue already on the 15th November in
excess of the estimate for the full yee and thres
million dollara more than that collected up to the
game date in 1936. No present signs of economi&
depression in the community generally. All
luxury taxes e.g. batting entertainment and excise
show large increases which cannot be wholly due to
influx of refugeous