RECORD OF THOMAS HENRY BARKER,
((1) Secretary of The Incorporated Chamber of Commerce of Liverpool,
(
(2) Member of Committee of the City of Liverpool School of Commerce,
(3) Member of Council of the Liverpool Geographical Society,
(4) Member of Liverpool Committee for the Development of Russian Studies) &c., &c., as to steps taken in connection with the affairs of the Russian Empire.
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On the 17th March, 1902, Mr H. A. Cooke, British Commercial Agent, Moscow, paid a visit to the Liverpool Chamber, and conferences were arranged for him with Liverpool Merchants on the subject of their Commercial interests in relation to Russia and Siberia.
On the 28th October, 1902, steps were taken by the Secretary, with the consent of the Council, to form a Russian Trade Section of the Chamber, which was successfully accomplished, and the first Meeting of the Section was held on November 13th, 1902.
On the 11th December, 1902, Mr Hermann Decker was elected Chairman and Mr H. Clements, Vice-Chairman of the Section, which posts they have since held.
In the summer of the following year, 1903, Mr Cooke was despatched by the Foreign Office to Siberia, on a Commercial Mission, when he was authorised to make certain inquiries on behalf of the Section.
In August of the same year, Mr Barker left this country also, as a Delegate of the Liverpool Chamber, and after crossing Canada, and travelling through Japan and North China, visited, chiefly at his own expense, the Corea, Port Arthur and Dalni, where he met Mr Cooke (British Agent) and conferred with Officers of the Russian Government and Trans-Siberian Railway. After visiting Pekin, and meeting there M. de Lessar, the Russian Minister, who furnished Mr Barker with a letter of recommendation to the Russian Authorities in Siberia, he (Mr Barker) visited Mukden, where he was hopitably entertained by Mr Frisk, at the Russo-Chinese Bank, for several days. Continuing his journey Mr Barker visited Kharbin, inspecting there
