CONDITIONS IN CHINA.
As usual, the speech of the Chairman of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation at the recent annual meeting held in Hong Kong was of great interest, covering, as it did, a résumé of both economic and political conditions in China. After dealing with the conditions of the past year and the effect of the great collapse in the price of silver, the Chairman emphasized the fact that trade conditions were already showing some indications of reviving as a consequence of the slight improvement which had occurred in the political situation, and he was evidently of the opinion that further progress would be made given a continuance of the improve- ment in the political situation itself. He mentioned, however, among other things, the fact that China, like other countries, seems likely to be exposed to the peril of Soviet dumping. Not the least interesting part of Mr. Plummer's address was his reference to the British Boxer Indemnity, the settlement of which, he considers, promises substantial benefits to China's railways, while he mentioned the prospect of the expenditure of some few millions of money in the United Kingdom for the purchase mainly of railway material.
A. W. K.
Previous page