[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
【 [15267]
No. 1.
[April 24.]
C
SHOTION 3.
16333
Brut 10 MAY
Sir,
Colonial Office to Foreign Office.--(Received April-24.)
Downing Street, April 22, 1911. WITH reference to your letter of the 17th October last and to previous correspondence, I am directed by Mr. Secretary IIarcourt to transmit to you, for the consideration of Secretary Sir Edward Grey, the accompanying copy of a despatch from the Governor of Hong Kong forwarding the draft of the proposed Anglo-Chinese Customs Convention as finally revised.
2. It will be observed that article 4 is new, and definitely provides that so long as the agreement remains in force the Hong Kong Government will permit the Chinese Imperial Maritime Customs to maintain a sub-office at Shamshuipo or elsewhere as may be approved. Sir Edward Grey will remember that in the letter from this department of the 17th June, 1910, Lord Crewe took the view that it is undesirable that the right of the Imperial Maritime Customs to a station in Hong Kong territory should be unreservedly recognised. He accordingly proposed that words to the effect "so long as that sub-office is permitted" should be inserted in the agreement after the mention of the Shamshuipo sub-office, and in your letter of the 29th July, 1910, you stated that Sir E. Grey concurred in the amendments proposed by his Lordship.
3. I am also to invite attention to the fact that considerable changes have been made in the wording of article 15, which corresponds to article 14 of the draft which was referred to your department of the 17th June last. The effect, however, of the changes does not appear to be of importance, except in so far as concerns the expression "It is also agreed that during the duration of this convention the Commissioner of Chinese Customs in Hong Kong shall continue to be British.' This phrase seems by implication to acknowledge the right of the customs authorities to function in Hong Kong territory, and therefore to be open to similar objections to those which have been raised to the recognition of the right to maintain a customs station.
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4. Mr. Harcourt has thought it desirable to draw attention to these points, but, on the whole, he is inclined not to raise any objection to the wording now proposed unless Sir E. Grey considers the question to be of material importance.
5. I am to add that in article 16, as elsewhere in the draft, the document is styled a "convention," but Mr. Harcourt understands from your letter of the 29th June, 1910, that Sir Edward Grey desires that the word "agreement" should be used throughout in place of convention."
6. Subject to the observations of Sir E. Grey and those of the Board of Trade, to whom a copy of the agreement is being sent, Mr. Harcourt proposes to approve the draft agreement. I am to add that since it is closely connected with the negotiations
for the joint working of the Canton-Kowloon Railway, Mr. Harcourt considers that the agreement should not be signed until the railway negotiations have been satisfactorily completed, and that the two agreements should be signed simul- taneously.
I am, &c.
H. BERTRAM COX.
(Confidential) Sir,
Enclosure 1 in No. 1.
Governor Sir F. Lugard to Mr. Harcourt.
Government House, Hong Kong, February 11, 1911. WITH reference to Lord Crewe's confidential despatch of the 15th of last July, I have the honour to forward the euclosed copy of a final revise of the draft Anglo- Chinese Customs Convention of Hong Kong as agreed upon between Mr. A. I. Harris and myself.
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