The British Economic Mission to the Far East, 1930.
An interesting and well written account of the trade mission to Japan and China, in a serious of lengthy letters by J. L. Edmondson, Secretary of the Federation of Calico Printers and one of the Cotton Mission delegation.
‘The Cotton Commission was appointed by the government to assist the Economic Mission to the Far East in their enquiries … related to cotton goods, and to report what action should be taken to develop and increase British trade in these goods.’
Edmonton left London Docks in September 1930 on the P&O ship ‘Macedonia’, travelling via the Suez Canal, he arrived in Japan in October and China in late November, leaving early March 1931.
The author gives an account of social activities on board the ship and trips ashore that the numerous re-coaling stops allowed. These included Marseilles, Port Said, Aden, Colombo and Penang.
In Singapore, the group ‘saw Tan Kah Kee’s famous rubber works where this astute and ruthless Chinese (who they say, sits … in his office with two armed guards in attendance) employs 1800 ‘hands’ turning out, millions of rubber shoes.’
The Mission officially commenced in Japan, where the author visited Tokyo, Kobe, Kariya, Kyoto and Osaka, undertaking ‘one endless round of engagements’. These included meetings with dignitaries, officials, and industrialists, banquets and meals with geishas and games of golf. He observed that:
’The Japanese are very nice and courteous, but they are not very accommodating in offering to show their works. Certain members of the Cotton Mission were very upset over this …’; ‘I find Japanese efficiency very terrifying’; ‘Besides feasts, we have visited various works — a Government railway repair works where we saw the first engine Japan ever had, bearing a plate Vulcan works, Newton-le-Willows 1871 …’
In China, visits were made to Shanghai, Nanking, Tientsin, Pekin/Peiping, Canton, Hong Kong and Kowloon, again meeting with government officials, dignitaries and industrialists (including Sir Shouson Chow), visiting cotton mills and weavers, attending banquets, sightseeing, etc. The military presence there was notable.
Typescript, 92 pages, held with treasury tag, several pages worn and loose.
The lot also includes some related ephemera including a New Plan of Peking, 1922.