In any further communication
on this subject, please quote
No. A 7322/100/45.
and address-
not to any person by name,
but to-
“་
The Under-Secretary of State,"
Foreign Office,
London, S.W.1.
Sir,
NOV
1017
FOREIGN OFFICE,
S.W.1.
11th November, 1929.
Cown
52835)28.
11 d 16.
7
I am directed by Mr. Secretary Henderson to invite reference to your letter No. 62769/29 of April 23rd last
2.
and previous correspondence regarding the alleged discrimination.
of the Hongkong authorities against the importation of
commercial motors from the United States, and to transmit to
you, herewith, copy of a further semi-official letter from the
First Secretary to the United States Embassy on the subject.
Mr. Belin makes it abundantly clear that the United
States Consul-General at Hongkong has satisfied himself that,
as matters stand at present, no market exists in the Colony for
American motor-buses, inasmuch as the operating companies fully appreciate that it would be useless to acquire any of these
vehicles owing to the refusal of the police to license any but British motor-buses for the public use in Hongkong./
3. While Mr. Henderson sympathises with the desire of
the Hongkong authorities to assist the export of commercial
motors from Great Britain, he doubts whether discrimination of
the nature complained of by the United States Government can be
easily defended; and he shares the views expressed by the
Board of Trade in their letters to the Colonial Office
Nos. C.R.T. 1308/28 of September 5th and November 8th, 1928,
in which it was suggested, inter alia, that while Hongkong has
traditionally been a free port, it might be possible to safe-
guard the local market for British motor manufacturers by
imposing a tariff upon the importation of foreign automobiles.
4.
The Under-Secretary of State,
Colonial Office.