CO129-554-7 British Empire and China Trade Fair 14-5-1935 - 23-10-1935 — Page 21

MWS.

TELEPHONE

WHITEHALL 9040.

26079/1935.

4.

Sir,

RECEIVED

20 JUL 1935

C. O. REGIS

FOREIGN OFFICE AND BOARD OF TRADE.

DEPARTMENT OF OVERSEAS TRADE,

2/

35, OLD QUEEN STREET,

S.W.1.

19th July, 1935.

I am directed by Lt.-Col.J. Colville to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 3rd instant (53613/35) transmitting a copy of a Despatch dated 14th May, 1935, from the Governor of Hong-Kong regarding the proposal to hold a British Empire and China Trade Fair in that Colony in December next.

In reply I am to transmit, for the information of Mr. Secretary MacDonald, the accompanying copies of des- patches from His Majesty's Trade Commissioner at Hong-Kong, marked A

-

D.

The details of this project to which the Governor refers in the last paragraph of his despatch will be found in Mr. Pelham's despatches marked 'A' and 'B' and in the documents attached thereto.

Document 'C' contains copies of articles inserted in the local press by the promoters of the Fair and enclosure 'D' affords information with regard to the attitude of the Hong-Kong General Chamber of Commerce.

From a perusal of these documents it will be seen that the attitude of the local mercantile community towards the project is for the most part lukewarm, while the Hong-Kong General Chamber of Commerce is definitely of opinion that the holding of the Fair should be deferred for at least a year in view of present difficulties arising from the state of international exchanges.

The Under-Secretary of State,

Colonial Office.

In/