SECTIONAL TRANSACTIONS.—E, F. 503 
and the doubtful absorption of the German Memel territory by the new state 
of Lithuania has also added to economic difficulties. 
In consequence the dredging of the Niemen has been neglected and the 
timber trade has declined steadily. The victim of bad political relations 
has been the Memel port, whose chief export commodity is now relegated 
to the Vistula waterway. 
The undesirability of the boycott is dawning on both governments. 
Poland, by seizing the Vilna district by force, has stultified its economic 
development and deprived it of its natural outlet. Lithuania has lost the 
greater part of her transit trade. 
SECTION F.—ECONOMIC SCIENCE AND 
STATISTICS. 
Thursday, September 7. 
Sir Grorce BucuanaNn, K.C.I.E.—The economic position of Burma (10.0). 
Burma has always been famous for its rice, but a tremendous impetus 
was given to paddy cultivation by the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869, 
which, by lowering freights between East and West, greatly stimulated the 
demand for rice in Europe. 
Burma has in half a century reclaimed and brought under cultivation for 
paddy 124 million acres of land, and is to-day the greatest rice exporting 
country in the world, with an annual export of 3 million tons of cleaned 
rice. 
This great work carried out entirely by Burmese peasantry; initial 
advantages being large areas suitable land; regular rainfall ; single crop 
over whole area, and cheap labour from India. No capital in country ; 
cultivators financed by Indian moneylenders, supplemented by co-operative 
societies, which began well but ultimately collapsed. Milling of rice and 
its export in hands of Europeans and Indians. World distribution and 
value. Other agricultural products and development of oil and teak 
industries. Total value of Burma’s export trade and how distributed. 
Burma not a manufacturing country and dependent on outside sources for 
all manufactured goods. Extent and value of import trade, penetration of 
Japan in textile requirements. 
The political situation and introduction of politics in country not con- 
ducive to happiness and prosperity of people. 
Revenue and expenditure and balance of trade. 
Disastrous effect of world crisis and unfortunate dependence of Burma 
on one staple trade. Increasing competition with other rice-producing 
countries. Seventy per cent. of population engaged in agriculture, prin- 
cipally paddy cultivation ; unless fair price obtained for paddy, which again 
is dependent on price of rice in world’s markets, whole economic structure 
must fall to ground and people revert to primitive standard of living. 
Alternative : development of other agricultural products and make country 
self-supporting by creation of industries ; this difficult because no coal in 
country, nor possibility of hydro-electric power in Lower Burma at 
economic price. 
PRESIDENTIAL AppRESS by Prof. J. H. Jones on The Gold Standard 
(11.30). (See p. 109.) 
