CO129-441 - Governor Sir May - 1917 [1-3] — Page 376

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100 BRITONS V. GERMANS IN CHINA

competition in the future, the British will never have to take a back seat to Germans in China. Such being the case, it is only necessary once more to urge British manu- facturers and merchants to pull together both at home and abroad. Let us remember that "British Made" is still the symbol of quality and value throughout the world, and the world is a big place with plenty of room for all to make a fair living out of fair trading.

THE END.

APPENDIX

The following is put forward as a typical example of ill-considered and unfair criticism. The extract is from a contributed article which first appeared in the October issue of the "Journal of the British Chamber of Commerce," Shanghai. It was reprinted at home in the "Board of Trade Journal of 16th November, and from this source the "Motor Ship and Motor Boat" of 30th November published it under the heading “British versus German Methods in China The italics are the author's and contain imputations which, in his opinion, are calculated to give a most inaccurate impression of the real state of affairs :--

British merchant firms in China in the past have ignored the tremendous energy lisplayed by Gorman merchants and shippers, through the medium of their China houses, in the sale of goods which can be best classed un- der the heading of "muck and truck." This classification, which is perhaps vulgar, covers a large volume of goods whose value is greater than is generally appreciated or understood.

Originally, the trade was controlled from and supplied by London shippers, but German methods soon diverted it to Hamburg, and British goods were supplanted to a considerable extent by those of German manufacture. There is no doubt that in most cases the quality of such German goods was inferior, but it is an admitted fact that Hamburg Arms were selling British-made goods more easily than London firms could sell them. Apart from the fact that the German manufacturer was willing to cater for the peculiar requirements of the Ching market and to price his goods to meet the pockets of the consumers, the German merchant in China was in a better position to display his wares thus was his British competitor. The British trade in miscellaneous groda dirindled to the im- portation of only a few specialities, and it is necessary to understand the principal reasons for this state of affairs.