62-
Mr. Edvardos as officiating Inspector General; and
on the 15th February Sir F. Alen, after consultin Sir M. Lamson, again telegraphed to them, explain- ing the arrangements in greater detail and begging them for his sake, if for nothing else, not to break up the Customs' service (Peking telegram to Foreign Office No. 91 of 15th February). Meanwhile, however, according to reports from Kuo-min-tang sources, the joint political conference of the Nationalist Government at Henkou passed a resolution to form a "Laritime Customs Rendition Investigation Committee" to devise measures for placing the Customs under the jurisdiction of the Nationalist Government. Comrades Eugene Ch'ên, Sun Fo, Sung Tsz-man and Ch'ên Ch'i-yuan were elected
members of this Committee. Two Russian "Comrades"
have been appointed advisers to the Committee. Fron
the same sources it was also reported that Comrade Ch'ên in reply to the appeal made by Sir F. Aglen had declared that the Nationalist Government Vould not recognize the appointment of the Inspector General of Customs by Pekin.
67. It is reported from Tientsin that by order of the Tupan Chu Yu-pu the collection of the new surtaxes at that treaty-port began on the 11th February and is effected through a Special surtax Bureau established by the Chinese Superintendent of Customs at Tientsin independently of the Tientsin Customs. In reply to the circular of the Chinese Authorities at Tientsin, announcing that the new surtaxes would be
collected
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