7
volume of traffic passing through Hong Kong
depends of course upon foreign trade relations
with China, and the general trend of these
relations since the last war is well illustrated
by the graph in table 17 on page 24 of the Harbour
Master's Annual Report for 1937. (see appendix
8 to enclosure 2). In 1924 the volume of traffic
had risen to as much as 57,000,000 tons; the
facilities of the port were taxed to their utmost
and consequently various schemes were under
examination for providing other shipping accommodation.
(Mr. Duncan's Report is dated December, 1924).
There followed, however, the anti-British strikes
and boycott of 1925, which brought about a severe
trade depression from which the Colony had by no
means recovered when the outbreak of hostilities
between China and Japan, with the closing of
occupied ports to trade and the blockade of the
China coast, put fresh obstacles in the way of
Hong Kong's trade. In 1937, the volume of traffic
passing through Hong Kong amounted to only
37,830,760 tons, the lowest figure recorded since
1920; hence at present the facilities of the port
are fully adequate for the volume of shipping
calling there. These facilities would however
certainly have to be augmented by further develop-
ments if there were any revival of trade, and
Major Manners, the Secretary of the Hong Kong and
Kowloon Wharf & Go-down Company (one of the
principal go-down owners in the Colony), has ex-
pressed the opinion that after the present con-
flict in China, the volume of cargo passing through
Hong Kong will show a considerable increase owing
to