201
on
Enclosure 4.
The China Mail.
HONGKONG, FRIDAY, April 20, 1917.
SHALL THE GERMANS COME BACK?
27
A
As
LANT year the Hongkong Government forwarded to the Chamber of Com- merce a copy of a Despatch received trom the Secretary of State for the Colonies regarding the commercial and industrial policy to be adopted throughout the Empire after the war. Accompanying the Despatch was a copy of the "Recommendations of the Economic Conference of the Allies," and it was intimated by Mr. BONAR LAW that a committee bad been appointed to consider the com- mercial and industrial policy of the United Kingdom after the War, with special reference to the conclu- sions of the Allied Conference. considered statement was invited of the views of the local Government the Recommendations of the Conference and on the questions submitted to the Committee. bearing on the question asked in the heading of this article, we may note that one of the recommendations of " In the Allied Conference reads: order to defend their commerce, their industry, their agriculture and their navigation against economic aggres- sion resulting from dumping or any other mode of unfair competition, the Allies decide to fix by agreement a period of time during which the commerce of the enemy powers altall be submitted to special treatment and the goods originating in their countries shall be subjected either to prohibitions or to a special régime of an effective character. The Allies will determine by agreement through the special diplomatic channels conditions to be imposed during the above-mentioned period on ships of After due the enemy powers." consideration of these Recommenda- tions of the Conference, a letter was written to the Government on behalf of the Committee of the Chamber in which it was stated:
B.
Hongkong in essentially a great ship- ping port and Trade emporium and as such cannot be dissociated from the neighbouring state of China which indeed provides the most important field for commercial
Hongkong enterprise. Whatever Imperial policy is adopted for the future, in the interest of Hongkong provision must be made for its peculiar relationship with China, and no measures should be taken which would be likely to be detrimental to the further expansion of the import and export trade with China; any Tariff Ragulation should provide for these circumstances,
Another paragraph in the same letter reads:
It would seem impracticable in these days of Trade and interwoven interests to permanently bar the return of present enemies, although this would tend towards sounder commercial conditions; but a strong advocacy exists for deferring their return for a minimum period of ten years after the declaration of Peace, and when allowed to return to the Colony it is urged that it should be only under Licence, in similar manner to which British Merchants submit in Russia
We quote these extracts because of their bearing on the discussion which took place in the Legislative Council chamber yesterday when the Hon Mr. HOLYOAK, the representative of the Chataber of Commerce on the Council, moved a resolution affirming that in the opinion of the Council it is in the best interest of the Colony of Hongkong that persons of German nationality should be excluded there- from for a period of at least ten years following the declaration of Peace: and that, subsequently, they be only admitted into the Colony under strict license. Be it noted that the motion did not propose that the Council should forthwith pass an ordinance to that effect, but merely expressed an opinion as to the advisability of such legislation au opinion which would in due course be communicated to the Imperial authorities who have the shaping of the economic policy
local The the • Empire. |Government, supported by the twol Chinese members of the Council, emphatically registered its opinion that these measures are not in the best interests of the Colony. Since "shipping is the life-blood of the Colony," and "the prosperity of this Colony depends on our remain-¡
of
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