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No.1067/1917.
Sir,
Colonial Secretary's Office,
Hongkong, 20th June, 1917.
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Referring to your telegram of the 16th June, I
am directed to state that under the passport regulations in force in Hongkong natives of India desiring passports are
required to forward with their applications a recommendation
from the Goverment of India or from the India Office.
2.
This rule is based upon a similar rule obtaining in the United Kingdom, and it is applied in all cases except
those of well known residents of Hongkong.
3,
It is of course impracticable in most cases for
the Indians who proceed from Hongkong to India to obtain a
recommendation from the Government of India, except after
considerable delay; and, apart from the case of Indians in
Government employment, it is not possible to ascertain, except
in so far as racial characteristics may be accepted as proof,
whether an applicant is in fact a British subject.
4.
It must be remembered that Hongkong is the ship-
ping centre in the Far East to which Indians come from America
and all parts of the East seeking transport to India; and this
Government cannot see its way to issue British passports to all
and sundry who may state that they are natives of British India. Such passports would obviously be useless for any purpose for
which the Government of India require passports.
5.
Unless, therefore, some such arrangement as is
indicated in my telegram of the 12th June is adopted it will be necessary for this Government in future to inform persons claim- ing to be natives of British India, who are unknown to it, that
Secretary to the Government of India,
Foreign Department,
SIMLA.
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