BRITAIN BEING OUSTED

Hokitika Guardian, 13 March 1926, Page 4

BRITAIN BEING OUSTED

GERMANS IN CHINA. Sir Pcrcival Phillips in the London ■ Daily Mail.”)

SHANGHAI, December 1. German industry is intent on capturing the markets of China. The trade offensive is slowly gathering impetus. It shuns the limelight, and its alert advance guard moves with studied restraint through territory closed by the Great War, cautiously avoiding a clash with the elements so lately hostile to all things Teutonic, but’ showing quiet tenacity and characteristic energy.

Socially the Centum is still outside the pule wherever British and allied interests live in apparent harmony. The clubs are still closed to him. and the gulf created by his own stupid folly remains unbridged. But commercially lie has come back. Every ship from llermen and Hamburg brings fresh recruit.- for the forces of the Fatherland. They arrive from Mediterranean ports and via America. Chemists, airmen, trade agents, missionaries, doctors, out-of-work ex-officers—the list is endless and diverse.

Already Germany has regained her pre-war supremacy in the aniline dye industry. Interior towns as far north as Harbin tire being flooded with cheap cutlery, cheap electrical goods, cheap toys—thousands of them—drugs and chemicals, cheap machinery—an infinite variety of manufactured products, all German and all cheap. The motor-car market is being undermined. Of late British ears—light models especially—have been increasing despite their higher cost. Init the Chinese desire for show and size is being met by German builders, and you see flashy, bulky, ornate ears that look highly expensive lint are in reality socond-raie threading the streets inhabited by wealthy natives. LONG CREDIT GIVEN.

In some lines the German i- supreme. For example, there is a special type of metal known as ‘-bamboo steel” which by reason of its softness can he used lor a wide variety of purposes. Gorman linns are able to turn this out in the exact quality desired by the Chinese. For some reason Great Britain cannot. I am told that samples of the German product have been submitted to manufacturers in England, hut attempts to reproduce il have failed.

German agenis overcome a natural prejudice on the part of their Chinese customers tor British goods by giving extended credits, which our firms cannot or will not do. They emphasise their willingness to meet any demand, no matter how difficult or fantastic. The root of the German policy is to establish friendly relations with the natives and to gain their confidence. J he ambassadors ol trade work to this end by cultivating closer social relations.

German agents make friends of their customers. They are treated on exactly the same footing as a German customer would he in Germany. “There

is no differento between Bast and Best,” says the astute representative of Westphalian mills; “if the British want to drau a line dividing Asiatics ami Europeans, we do not. Your internal troubles are none of our business. Let us, instead talk of trade.” Voting post-war trained business men are settling down in great native centres like Canton and learning Cliin-

ese —or enough of it to carry on their I work. In Canton alone, where the name of British is anathema, there arc nearly Kill Hermans living peacefully aiidd tlic re- 1 lc-s, Red-ruled inliahiI a lit s. IN EAR INTERIOR, I travelled up Irnni llong-kon.g in a L'ennan liner which carried from Cl cm i Oil to Chinn more than 100 mission-aries--Capuchin monks in sandals, Benedictines in their habits, nuns of ■ v t. Faucis and St. Benedict. Lutheran women teachers in white cans and print gowns, secular priests and lay readers, all hound for the remote interior where they will spend their lives. New schools, new churches, new hospitals lor the poor are being loiimled where a Briton is seldom if ever seen.

Herman doctors are verv popular I with the natives. Five arrived here . this week—graduates of Bonn, Tubingen and Leipzig—to establish practices in the interior. There are about I.dOD Hermans in the hybrid city of 1 Shanghai. Their old club was confiscated when war began and is now the Hank of Chinn, hut they have purchased I lie building formerly occupied hy tin; American club, which is now the unostentatious headquarters of the new offensive in China. Even in the Russian-ruled centres where Bolshevism now practises its destruciive creed the Hermans move about unchallenged. They show no sympathy with the Soviet, hut they let the natives see that they are not actively opposing it. The Beds do not trouble them. Business, not polities, is the aim of the new settlers, and

they blandly close their eyes to the intrigues of .Moscow. HEILMAN AIRMEN ACTIVE, M hen China is able to take up commercial aviation you will find Herman material and Herman staffs, hacked by Herman capital, making a hid for .supremacy. Abortive attempts have been made to establish aeroolane services between Shanghai and Peking. Aerodromes were actually constructed and a 10-hours journey with three stops planned hy the hackers, hilt one prix vincinl governor refused Ins support. The aerodromes are still there, and only the opportunity is needed. It will come. I here are Herman engineers of skill and experience hero who are longing to build machines and fiv them across China. They are endeavouring at this time to raise capital for an experimental service, confident that it will become permanent. As Soon as 1 110 ban on the importation of commercial aircraft is removed the latest model German ’planes will he brought to China. Experts from the Continental air services are already working on projects for linking tip the

large towns. The German offensive in China b still masked, hut ft can clear]v he seen

NEW ZEALAND RAILWAYS. CHEAP EXCURSION WEST COAST TO DUNEDIN EXHIBITION. , -MARCH 17th, 1926. (” RECTAL EXCURSION TRAIN for DUNEDIN, stopping for passengers at Stations between Ross and Grcyniouth, leaves Ross 6.40 a.m., WEDNESDAY, 17th MARCH, Hokitika 7.25 a.m., Kumarn. 8.10. Returning, the excursion train leaves Dunedin 7.45 a.m. SATURDAY, 20th MARCH; Grcyniouth arrive 9.5 p.m., depart 9.15 p.m., Hokitika 10.55 p.m., arriving Ross 11.35 p.m. same day. Tickets at Special Fares will he issued from Ross, Recfton, Otira and intermediate stations including brandies, available for return on SATURDAY. 20th MARCH. Do not miss this splendid opportunity of visiting the Exhibition at a minimum of cost and time. lor further particulars see posters or enquire at stations.