:
This Document la the Property of His Britannio Majesty's Government, and should be
returned to the Foreign Office If not required for official use.
Decode,
Sir R. Macleay (Peking)
D.
R.
16th Kovember 1926.
7.40 p.m. 16th November 1926.
5.00 p.m.
16th November 1926.
No. 436. (R).
472
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My immediately preceding telegram.
Senior Minister recently circulated copy of e despatch from Senior Consul at Canton in which it was stated that consular body favoured suggestion made by local Chamber of Commerce that tax should be collected by Customs, see Canton telegram No. 49. My United States colleague who has recently returned from his trip to Manila appended following minute.
*I suggest that Senior Minister reply to Senior Consul at Canton to the effect that it was the sense of e recent meeting of diplomatic representatives at Peking of the powers concerned that maritime customs should not participate in collection of new illegal taxes at Canton".
In passing circular on I wrote below United States Minister's minute that I regretted that I was unable to concur in action he proposed as His Majesty's Government shared the view of foreign Chamber of Commerce at Canton that it was desirable that new taxes should be collected if possible by maritime customs.
Addressed to Foreign Office No. 436, repeated
to Canton, Hongkong, Tokyo and Shanghai.