FO371-23514 — Page 236

Page 236

COPY.

No. 16

pies to:-

Trade Commissioner, Hongkong No.21 Governor, Hongkong No. 74 British Embassy, Shanghai No. 80

(& 3 copies)

British Consulate-General,

CANTON,

18th April, 1939.

75

Sir,

With reference to my despatch No. 9 of March 10th

and to your S/O No.3 (Ref. 142/1D/1939) of March 14th, 1939,

I have the honour to inform you that I have received three

reports from the Canton office of Messrs. Butterfield and

Swire dated March 11th, April 1st and April 12th, respectively

on the subject of Japanese competition, which tend to show

that Japanese merchandise is being imported into Canton in

ships which claim to be Japanese naval or military transports,

for immediate or eventual commercial sale at Canton.

2..

On March 4th, "Lushan Maru" (Nippon Kissen Kaisha)

berthed at William Hunt and Co's wharf (former China Merchants)

and discharged a cargo consisting principally of rice, pre-

sumably for relief purposes, there being at that time a

serious shortage of rice at Canton.

There were also discharged

a considerable quantity of "Asahi" beer, which is being freely

sold in Canton, and 100 packages of groundnut oil, which were

reported as subsequently sold to a Chinese dealer in the city.

There was other cargo of which I can obtain no details.

This vessel left on March 6th possibly taking with her some

scrap iron which had been collected on this wharf by the

Japanese and some bristles from Hankow delivery of which was

taken by a Chinese dealer from Messrs. Jardine, Matheson &

Company's wharf shortly before the "Lushan Maru" sailed.

On March 6th, the "Huashan Maru" (Nippon Kissen

3.

Kaisha) arrived and berthed at the same wharf, staying there

three days. This vessel is known to have brought rice, 3,400

Commercial Counsellor,

British Embassy,

SHANGHAI.

/ packages

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