CO129-431 - Governor Sir May - 1916 [1-2] — Page 432

Trading with the Enemy.

The Chine Contingent.

The War: China and

alate menta,

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And here it may be well to add that at no time did the Committee wish for, or advocate, the removal of a single restriction which in their opinion might jeopardise the national welfare. But in suggesting the limited use of private codes, by selected firms, under heavy monetary guarantee, they could foresee no more danger than is to be apprehended from the use of public codes, inasmuch as the cyphers in both public and private codes, and for that matter, plain English words, can be used However, the Censor could not to convey a meaning not attached to them. take that view, and the Committee could only bow to his decision, particularly in view of a hint that further insistence might increase, rather than lessen, existing difficulties.

national safety as conceived by the Censor.

The Committee have addressed the Foreign Office on this question, pointing out the discrepancy between the advice given by the Board of Trade to British subjects that it is undesirable to enter into commercial transactions with enemy subjects in China during the continuance of the war, and the provisions of the Trading with the Enemy Act under which We understand the such transactions are permissible in certain cases. matter is still under consideration.

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British subjects resident in China have every reason to feel proud of the Contingent which has come home to join His Majesty's forces. helping hand from men overseas at this crisis is welcome and deeply appreciated by everyone in the old country, and we congratulate our branches in the Far East on the part they have taken in organising the movement. The Committee have endeavoured to keep in touch with the members of the Contingent by registering the units to which they have become attached, and have afforded them what assistance it has been in their power to offer. (Appendix pp. 50/58.)

In November last the Association received from the Central Committee German mis- for National Patriotic Organizations an enquiry whether the Committee would assist in the work of instructing public opinion in China regarding the war, particularly by getting one or two of the most important pamphlets issued in England translated into Chinese and distributed throughout that country. In view of the gross mis-statements circulated by Germans in China regarding the war and the responsibility for it the Committee considered it most desirable that an authoritative statement should be published stating clearly

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and concisely the true facts of the case. Accordingly a pamphlet of some 40 pages entitled "The Great War: its origin and the responsibility for it," has been compiled under the auspices of the Association and has been sent out to Shanghai for translation into Chinese by the Christian Literature Society, and subsequent circulation in China. The text of the pamphlet is included in the Supplement to this Report, and will be found at pages 14/52.

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North China

The Committee have great pleasure in congratulating the North China Jubilee of the Daily News upon its fiftieth anniversary, and in expressing cordial good Daily News. wishes for its continued prosperity. This Association was founded 26 years ago largely through the instrumentality of Mr. R. S. Gundry, who for many years had been the Editor of that paper, and throughout all these years we have been greatly indebted to its weekly edition, The North China Herald, for much valuable information in connection with events in the Far East.

The Committee are glad to have this opportunity of bearing testimony to the independent attitude, sound judgment, and high standard of journalism continuously maintained by this the oldest foreign paper in China. A large proportion of the members of this Association were formerly resident in China, of which they have the kindliest remembrances, and desire to acknowledge the influence of the North China Herald in maintaining their interest in current events there.

Chinese.

The Annual Report of the Committee of Management on the progress School of of the School of Chinese, and Statement of Accounts to the 31st December, will be found on pages 7/13 of the Supplement.

The annual examination of the School was again undertaken by the Rev. W. E. Soothill, whose interesting review of the work done during the year forms part of the Committee's Report. In last year's Report it was noted that Mr. Edmund Backhouse had been offered the appointment of Professor at the School rendered vacant by the death of Professor Owen, Mr. Backhouse was, however, unable to accept the offer, which was later extended to, and accepted by, the Rev. S. B. Drake, whose efficient services the Committee have been pleased to acknowledge.

Lest members should think the correspondence in the Report not only Confidential bulks less year by year, but also becomes less interesting, the Committee dance.

Correspon