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subject was dated Shanghai August 29th 1928,
80
From the foregoing and from the well known fact that at Wanhsien (with Consular and Naval cognizance)
search parties of Chinese, authorised or otherwise, have
for the past two years bearded vessels at Vanhsien, collected taxes, exacted fines, removed cargo from
vessels as they saw fit and generally noted as if no
such organisation as the Chinese Maritime Customs
axisted, while at Chungking the Customs were entirely under the domination of the various political parties claiming to be the governing power and at Ichang, although rerhaps in a lesser degree,
the same,
appear that the principal of immanity from search
by other than the Chinese Maritime Customa which
H. K. Minister fears the British Goverment may have
to forego has in practice been already conceded,
same, it would
So serious did the breaches of recognised
Treaty practies become at Fanhsien that we instructed
our Iahang Agent to appeal to the British Naval
Authorities for assistance and in reply our Agent
received a communication emanating from Rear Admiral
Tweedy in which he states as a reason for being unable
to take action
"Moreover in a recent despatch on the
- subject of the Upper River trade sent to
the Foreign office by H.M.Kinister at Peking the latter expresses the opinion that the matter of detail in trade with a country that abides by no superior law is a question for the traders to arrange with the country concerned."
Since then the Banking Nationalist Government
are supposed to have gained control at Wanhsion but
our latest advices are that no cessation of illegal
(taxation/