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This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[F 2910/96/10]
No. 1.
[Angust 9.]
SECTION 5.
Sir B. Alston to Earl Curzon.-(Received August 9.)
(No. 337.) My Lord,
Peking, June 21, 1921. WITH reference to my telegram of the 25th ultimo, I have the honour to transmit herewith a translation of the Chinese text of the new Sino-German Agreement and accompanying exchange of notes, a copy of which has been procured through private channels.
I would draw attention to the last paragraph of the letter from the Minister for Foreign Affairs to Her von Borch stating that a separate arrangement would be concerted for dealing with the Deutsche-Asiatische Bank and the Ching Hsing mines, but that the bank premises at Peking and Hankow, not having been subjected to liquidation, " may be restored to the original owners," As your Lordship is aware, the status of the German bank in the Legation quarter has rever been exactly determined, and the premises are at the present time in the custody of the Netherlands Minister, as representative of German interests during the war. Should an attempt be made to give effect to the promise given in Dr. Yen's letter, the question of the right of the Chinese Government to dispose of property within the Legation quarter will have to be settled.
The German drill ground referred to in Herr von Burch's letter signifies presumably the German portion of the extra-mural glacis. It is obvious that the German renunciation of rights over the glacis can only take practical effect if and when a similar renunciation has been made by the remaining protocol Powers.
(Copies to Shanghai, Canton, Tien-tsin and tankow.)
Enclosure 1 in No. 1.
Herr von Borch to Dr. Yen.
I have, &c.
B. ALSTON.
Sir,
May 20, 1921. I HAVE the honour to inform your Excellency that I have been formally delegated to make to your Excellency in the name of my Government the following declaration:-
The Government of the German Republic desires to renew relations of amity and commercial intercourse between China and Germany. Now whereas it is right that such relations should be founded upon the principle of perfect equality and strict reciprocity, as in conformity with the provisions of general international law, and whereas on the 15th September, 1919, a mandate was promulgated by his Excellency the President of the Republic of China restoring peace with Germany, and whereas Germany has accepted the obligations towards China created by articles 128 to 134 of the Versaillea Treaty of the 28th June, 1919, which came into operation on the 10th January, 1920, it is hereby stated that Germany has in consequence of her military situation and the Versailles Treaty been compelled to renounce all interests, property rights and concessions obtained by her under the treaty with China of the 6th March, 1898, and the various other documents relating to the province of Shantung, and that she has thereby ceased to have it in her power to restore to China the said interests, property rights and concessions.
It is further formally declared as follows:-
Germany agrees to the abolition of her right to consular jurisdiction in China. She also renounces in entirety in China's favour all rights possessed by the German Government over the German drill ground belonging to the German Legation at Peking, acknowledging the expression "public property" mentioned in clause 1, article 130, of the Versailles Treaty as including in its denotation the drill ground in question.
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