Evening star., 1932-02-16
BRITISH CAPITAL
IN CHINA is HUGE
Conflict Disturbs Economics
Due to Fight to Regain
Lost Trade.

BY the Associated Press.
LONDON, February 16-Although
China has sunk to about thirteenth
place in the list of Britain's best GUS
toners. warfare in that country Is cis-
turbing to her economies because Brit
ish Investments are still enormous and
she has hope-however faint-of re-
gaining lest trade in these days when
every scrap counts.
China. at one time. was England's
second greatest market for cotton goods
and although her commanding position
in that part of China's trade has been
taken by Japan. circumstances IN tnc
latter part of 1881 led to a revival OF
Chinese orders in this country and the
hope that much of that market could
be recaptured.
Whether this eventually proves to be
the case. there still are important Brit
ish interests-railroads, for example.
1900 Britons in China.
Most Of the important Chinese rail-.
roads have been British financed and
total British investments there today
have been estimated at around $780,
600, 900.
Besides these investments there are
some $4,000 British citizens living IN
China. more than half of them III
Shanghai. Several thousand are mis-
sionaries and a Smattering OF govern
Exports to China for 1880 are esti-
mated as follows, In taels IA tael i!
about SO cents):
Japan S2I.IoSoOe
United States ...-..-..-- ~ W oe
India lo1' 100 W,
Great Britain ......... lU8'236 w,
Canada .................. l3,olLOUl
With the addition Of India and Can
ada, which are parts OF the brNtBr
commonwealth. the British interest BE-
comes more important. And this I'M
portance grows as the increasing strln
gency of the Indian boycott is felt In
England.
Many great English fortunes were
founded in the China trade, Just as
were many American. but Britain was
late getting into the game.
China was doing a bustling business
a thousand years B. c., records lndl-
cate. And traded with the PnoenicianS
and Carthaginians. Romans knew OF
Cathav and business with Italy bounded
when Marco Polo came back and wrote
his book in 1871.
But more modern nations started
trade with China-by force-When
Portugal opened up the way in 1916
Spain came next. operating from Ma
Mia. and then the Dutch. It IS worth
noting that even today the Dutch East
Indies have a big trade with China.
Japan Forges Ahead.
It was 1910 before the British, with
the East India Co., really got under
way, and there were difficulties even
then.
The first American ship to China
turned up in 1884 with cargo OF GIN
seng. Americans had done business
through the East India CO. before,
BY the time of the Civil War the big
bulk of the shipping on the Yangtze
China's Mississippi, was carried IN
American ships. Most of this was lest
during that war. and England assumed
the leading position.
During the World War Japan forged
ahead. as she had been doing, but
American trade with China has also in
creased American investments in 1928
were estimated at $200,000,000.
MANY economists view China as the
greatest potential market in the world
despite the impoverishment of Its popu-
lation. Some basis fer their arguments
is found in the figures of China's trade:
In 1928 imports and exports totaled
2.215,389.173 taels and of this 1,210,-
OO1,728 taels were imports.
America and Japan, incidentally, are
neck and neck as China's best GUS
toners.