4
unless the hostility of the Cantonese authorities
manifested by Anti-British strikes, boycotts,
labour unrest, mob violence and the like were
such as to inflict serious injury on Hong Kong and
to deny our right to trade in Kuang-tung as was
the case from June, 1925, to October, 1926.
Therefore, ex hypothesi, British trade would be in serious jeopardy before resort was had to block-
ade and consequently we do not think that a block-
ade would be more injurious to British than to
Chinese interests.
In 1924, the last normal year, Canton and
Kongmoon imported about 318,000 tons of rice and
106,000 tons of rice meal, while the West River
ports imported almost exactly half the above
quantities, a total of rather more than 600,000
tons valued at just under $75 million Mex. These
are the figures for "foreign" rice, practically
all passing through Hong Kong, 75% of it from
Saigon and the balance from Bangkok and Haiphong.
The bulk of this is imported between March and
June, i.e. after the second crop of local rice is consumed. The first local rice crop is gathered
at the end of June and the second at the end of
November in a normal year, and each local crop
should give a supply almost enough for three
months' local consumption. Canton still relies, not only on transhipment, but also on actual
distribution
106
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.