¡
In any further communication
h this subject, please quota
No. 580/163/10
and address-
not to any person by name, but to-
"The Under-Secretary of State,”
Foreign Office,
London, S.W.1.
5433095
:2086/25
Sir,
C. 4236
22 FEB 1926
531
FOREIGN OFFICE.
$.W.1.
20th February, 1926.
With reference to Foreign Office letter F 5503/194/ 10 of December 2nd, 1926, I am directed by Secretary Sir Austen Chamberlain to inform you that he has now received the Board of Trade's views on the question of the transport of immigrants from China to Singapore, as embodied in their letter C.R.T.29/26 of the 12th instant, a copy of which has been transmitted to you.
2. As regards the present position at Swatow, it will be seen from Foreign Office letter F 5391/194/10 of November 19th that His Majesty's Consul has been instructed that whereas he would not be justified in refusing immigration licences to foreign ships, other than Chinese, sailing direct to British ports such as Singapore unless so requested by the British authorities at those ports, yet for the time being he should refuse such licences on the ground that his staff is inadequate for the purpose. 3. If, owing to the fact that immigration licences to foreign ships are refused and that British ships are boycotted by the immigrants, no immigration traffic is at present passing between South China and British Malaya, then the question as to how to deal with such traffic aust be somewhat academic; but if such traffic does continue
in spite of obstacles, it would seem that its control wight conceivably be used as a counter weapon to the anti-British
boycott. I am to enquire whether the authorities of
Under-Secretary of State,
Colonial Office.
the/