· --
3
10
with no Chinese allegiance at all. (See Minute by Mr.
Hurst on pages 6 and 23 of print).
It may be that the solution lies in encouraging
all Anglo-Chinese, who may so desire to divest them-
selves of their Chinese status (as it appears they can
now do without much difficulty under the new law).
Will you think there matters over on your journey
out and advise us what course you recommend to remove
these difficulties, when you get back to Peking.
Jopy.
(9312)
Dear Campbell:-
PEKING,
February 19th, 1911.
I had not lost sight of your semi-officiel
letter of the 10th November last, respecting Anglo-
Chinese in China, but my difficulty has been to offer
any suggestion which would contribute to a practical
solution of the many difficulties which surround this
thorny question.
I em in general agreement with your suggested
solution and also with the views expressed by Mr. Max
Müller in his despatch No.240 of the 25th July last,
but as I will have occasion to explain later on, the
situation has changed considerably since he wrote and
the possibility of finding a solution by falling in to
some extent with the general principles of the Chinese
Nationality Law is not so practicable as it then was.
My opinion has always been that the Circular
of 1904 was too widely drawn and that it was a mistake
to extend British protection in China to persons born
in Hongkong of Chinese parents, subjects of the
Emperor