This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
INA TRADE.
CONFIDENTIAL.
39
[June 9.]
SECTION 1.
(Translation.) Sir,
Inclosure 3 in No. 1.
Viceroy of Chengtu to Acting Consul-General Campbell.
Kuang Hsü, 31st year, 1st month, 26th day (March 1, 1905).
I HAVE the honour to inform you that I am in receipt of the following report from the Bureau of Foreign Affairs:-
"It is provided by Treaty that foreign merchants shall not open business estab- lishments or warehouses in the interior, and as Chengtu is not an open port it accordingly comes within the scope of this rule. Last year two shops for the sale of foreign goods were opened in Cliengtu-one in the name of the French merchant, Coffiney, one in that of the British merchant, Holland. As it was ascertained that both shops were opened by Chinese for the sale of goods belonging to foreign merchants, the owners were ordered, after an understanding was come to with the British Consul-General and the French Consul, to alter their sign-boards.
"It now appears that the British firm, Brunner, Mond, and Co., and the American firm, Jih Hsin, have opened shops inside and outside the city, and the Magistrates of the Chengtu and Hua-yang districts have been instructed to investigate and take action. However, in view of the number of years that have elapsed since the Regulations for foreign commerce above referred to were made, no foreign merchant can possibly be ignorant of their provisions; and as we fear that the personation of foreign firms by Chinese merchants may be detrimental to trade we feel it our duty to call attention to Treaty stipulations on the point, so that a proper discrimination may be shown. We would therefore suggest that the foreign Consuls in Chengtu be asked to direct the merchants of their respective nations in Chungking to follow Treaty provisions in future, in order to avoid the danger of Chinese merchants fraudulently assuming their names. Should, however, Chinese merchants repeat their former practices, it will then be easy for the local officials to deal with them as provided by Treaty."
As the request of the Bureau for Foreign Affairs contains nothing incompatible with Treaty stipulations, I have addressed the French and German Consuls on the matter, and have now the honour to request you to be so good as to issue instructions in the above sense.
(Card attached.)
No. 1.
Board of Trade to Foreign Office.~(Received June 9.)
Board of Trade, June 8, 1905.
I AM directed by the Board of Trade to refer to your letter of the 12th ultimo, ausmitting a copy of a despatch from His Majesty's Minister at Peking, forwarding à Fint of the proposals drawn up by the Deutsche Vereinigung of Shanghae for the endment of the Provisional Regulations for the registration of trade-marks in China, d, in reply to your inquiry as regards the proposal therein contained for the mendment of Article 26, I am to point out for the information of the Secretary of ate for Foreign Affairs, that the proposal in question appears to have been framed fore the receipt by Sir E. Satow of the draft amendments proposed by this Board, as e preliminary Memorandum to the amendments in which it is included is dated ebruary 1905. In these circumstances, the Board of Trade think it would be sirable to ascertain, if possible, whether, since the receipt of the Board's proposals, y-and, if so, what-modifications have been made in the present and other oposals, of which a copy has been furnished to this Department.
I have, &c. (Signed) T. W. P. BLOMEFIELD.
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Z.