His Majesty's Government and it has been decided that any
action of the kind suggested by the petitioners is not
Gi
feasible. The petitioners will readily understand apart
from questions of international law and extra-territorial
usage, there are many practical difficulties in the way of
such a course and that the matter could not be dealt with
separately in the case of Shameen, but would necessarily
have to be treated comprehensively in relation to all
British Concessions in China, the circumstances of which
vary considerably. There are Germans living in several
other British Concessions and British subjects living in
large numbers in one or two German Concessions and the
interests are so ramified and complicated that any disturb-
ance could not fail to produce serious loss and inconven-
ience to our om people.
There are also political considerations of a far-
reaching nature which seem to render the continued
observance of the principles governing Foreign Concessions
in China highly desirable at present.
From personal experience of life on Shameen I can
fully appreciate the delicacy and difficulty of the
present situation, but I feel sure that the British
community there, representing as they do the traditions
of