ANOTHER CHINESE BOYCOTT.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3082, 2 January 1909, Page 4

ANOTHER CHINESE BOYCOTT.

Having discovered a singularly effective weapon in the boycott the Chinese are in danger of using it indiscriminately. The latest story relates that they have turned it against the British on account of the energetic steps which the British authorities at Hongkong took to put an end to the boycott of Japanese goods. The Chinese recently extended the boycott to include the Germans at Kiao-chau, so that if the forecast of serious trouble at Hongkong has been borne out the Chinese merchants may now be engaged in boycotting the goods of three of the largest manufacturing nations in the world. The Americans have already had their turn. As the imports from the United Kingdom into China amount to about £12,000,000 annually, it will be seen that a systematic boycott of British goods would be a most untoward occurrence. It is; doubtless correct that some trouble was experienced owing to the strong measures taken by the Governor of Hongkong and his Executive Council to show the disapprobation of the British authorities, but it is reassuring to note that the difficulty has probably been smoothed over as far as Great Britain is concerned. But the Chinese merchants are

showing themselves so much addicted to taking up the boycott and so expert in using it as a means of vindicating their national dignity that the possibilities of serious trouble arising from thia source can never be far away. When the door of a market that contains 450,000,000 purchasers i* suddenly slammed in the face of a great manulacturing nation h&avy losses must occur.