515
Extract from a letter from Sir J. Walsham dated the 28th. of May
1886
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Technically speaking I presume that as regards Chinese who, from the accident of birth in one or other of the two Colonies, were British born subjects so long as they remained without the limits of China, the Chinese Government would not be entitled to object to our enlisting them, but as regards bona-fide Chinese subjects, recruited either within the Colony or within Chinese territory, I hardly imagine that such a step could be taken without the formal consent of the Chinese Government, and so long as we were at peace with China I daresay no difficulty would be raised as to the enlistment, but were we engaged in hostilities with this Country, it can hardly be supposed that measures could not and would not be adopted for rendering it almost impossible for our Chinese force to fight on our side. This is merely my private opinion which I offer for what it may be worth.