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33829
A
7.
It will have been realized from my despatch
No.322 of 28th May, 1934, that the attitude of the local
mercantile community towards an Empire or Anglo-Chinese
Fair was a disappointment to me. Their attitude towards
the new project remains, with a few exceptions, lukewarm
but the promoters are confident of support from other parts
of the Empire and believe, probably rightly, that local firms will desire to participate at a later stage.
The promoters who alone in Hong Kong have had
the energy to put forward practical proposals for a trade
fair have tackled their problem with commendable zeal, but
the attitude of the local mercantile community has added
considerably to their difficulties and it remains to be
seen whether sufficient outside support will be obtained to justify the promoters' optimism. The Government stands
to lose nothing except the annual value of a vacant site
which is being reserved for Government buildings at some future date and a sum of $2,000.00. This risk I feel
justified in taking to support a project which if successful should be of very great benefit to Empire trade in general and Hong Kong in particular.
8.
I have not burdened this despatch with details of the promoters' scheme as these have been very fully
supplied to the Department of Overseas Trade by His Majesty's
Trade Commissioner in Hong Kong.
I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your most obedient, humble servant,
hhhe
Governor, &c.
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