This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.
407
46853
FAIRS OF CHINA,
CONFIDENTIAL
0341]
410.)
No. 1.
TREAT
20 DEC
[December L.]
SECTION 2.
Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received December 1.)
Peking, October 12, 1906.
IN continuation of my despatch No. 400, Confidential, of the 4th instant, I have honour to report the arrangements which have been made for the publication of the Circular addressed by the Inspector-General of Customs on the 22nd ultimo to Customs authorities at the ports.
As mentioned in my telegram No. 179 of the 3rd instant, Mr. Tang Shao-yi gave a definite assurance that the Circular would be published, but asked for a few days in order that he might consult with his colleague, his Excellency Tieh Liang, and decide upon the most suitable method of giving publicity to the document. He pointed out that the Chinese Government had no official journal, and were not in the habit of making use of the press for purposes of this kind.
Yesterday, at the Wai-wu Pu, his Excellency, replying to my request for an answer, said that he had consulted Sir R. Hart on the subject, and that the latter had informed him that the "Customs Gazette" was the recognized organ for the publication of all notifications relating to the Customs Service. His Excellency, therefore, suggested that the Shui-wu Ch'u (Revenue Council) should instruct the Inspector-General to publish the Circular in the next issue of the "Gazette."
I reminded his Excellency that, in the view of His Majesty's Government, the Circular should be published by the Chinese Government, and added that I could not accept the Shui-wu Ch'u as representing the Chinese Government in a question of this kind.
To this he retorted that the Circular would have to be published in Chinese as well as English, and that, as I knew, the expression "Chinese Government" was never used by the Chinese themselves. The document related exclusively to Customs administration, and its publication in the accredited Customs journal, under the authority of the Shui-wu Ch'u, appeared to him to meet all the requirements of the case.
I rejoined that the Wai-wu Pu alone represented the Chinese Government in the conduct of foreign relations, and that, your instructions being explicit that the publication should emanate from the Chinese Government, it was essential that the Wai-wu Pu should assume responsibility for the appearance of the Circular.
Finally, Mr. T'ang suggested the following as the most appropriate procedure under the circumstances :-
He himself, as representing the Shui-wu Ch'u, would procure from the Inspector-General of Customs a copy of the Circular, which would be forwarded officially by the Shui-wu Ch'u to the Wai-wu Pu. The Wai-wu Pu, in acknowledging its receipt, would authorize the Shui-wu Ch'u to instruct the Inspector-General to have it published in Chinese and English in the next issue of the "Customs Gazette." This would give it the formal sanction of the Chinese Government, and would insure its receiving wide and authorized publicity through the most natural channel available for the purpose.
I accepted this suggestion, as providing what appears to me to be the best arrangement for the publication of the Circular in China, and Sir Robert Hart, to whom I subsequently communicated it, is of the same opinion.
The "Gazette" is an official publication which contains, in addition to the ordinary returns of trade at the different ports, all Customs notifications and service movements, and it is on sale everywhere in China. The next issue would appear in the ordinary course about the end of this month, but it may be postponed for a few days in order to permit of the insertion of the Circular.
I have, &c.
(Signed)
J. N. JORDAN,
[2263 a-2]