This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.
CHINA
CONFIDENTIAL.
F 2227/52/10]
No. 1.
May 6, 1929.
SECTION 1.
Mr. Maze to Mr. Stephenson.-(Communicated by Mr. Stephenson May 6.)
(Confidential.) Dear Mr. Stephenson,
Shanghai Office of the Inspectorate-General of Customs, Shanghai, April 6, 1929.
SOME twelve months ago the Nanking Government requested me to submit for their consideration my views concerning the principles which should govern the employment and promotion of Chinese in the Customs. For purposes of record I enclose a translation of the memorandum on the subject which I prepared on that occasion and submitted in the Chinese language.
It is idle to expect that our Chinese employees, if qualified, can for ever be debarred from attaining positions of greater responsibility in the service-we live now in post-revolution (if the revolution can be considered over !) and post-war days, and we must accept facts as they are, and regulate our conduct of affairs in accordance with the new order of things. China is undergoing at present a process of emancipation, apparently with the blessing of America and England, and, this being so, it is ridiculous to suppose that the service conditions relating to the Chinese staff are to remain unchanged in the midst of so much change! We must, therefore, move on with the times, and prepare for the future. In my opinion, the best manner to prolong the life of the so-called foreign inspectorate is to recognise Chinese legitimate aspirations, and administer the Customs accordingly on broad and liberal lines. But in future we, a subordinate Department, must mind our own business, keep out of politics and not attempt, for example, to secure the control of the finances of the Chinese Government! Sir John Jordan told me so far back as 1919 that such a policy in connexion with loans and finance would end either in the downfall of the inspector- general or the break-up of the Maritime Customs. "See," he added, "how Hart kept the service clear of politics!" And subsequent events proved that his prophecy was in every respect accurate.
I have long since recommended that Chinese in the service should become eligible for posts of greater responsibility, and this principle has now been officially recognised. But, at the same time, it should be clearly understood that the Government have no desire whatever to dispense with the foreign element in the Customs-on the contrary, they realise that it is necessary for a variety of reasons to continue to employ foreigners. And in proof of this, I may cite the fact that they recently sanctioned my proposal to recruit foreign tide-waiters; as you know, for the first time in the history of the service, we have not engaged any foreigners for the Revenue Department for over a period of three years, and it is significant, therefore, that I have been able to persuade them to remove the embargo, as it were !
"
The "die-hards" in Shanghai and elsewhere consider, of course, that the improve- ment of Chinese staff conditions and the promotion of Chinese employees to higher positions, is a sign of decadence and especially of "weakness "-" the beginning of the end," they say! These are they who condemn off-hand Sir Austen Chamberlain's policy of conciliation, and who advocate the application of the old "gunboat policy -the Sir Harry Parkes' "thumping the table " methods ! Time, however, will show that Sir Austen Chamberlain is right and that they are wrong; a short time back, I may mention, the Japanese Minister, Mr. Yoshizawa, remarked to me that the day for drastic action in China is past." Japan has lost millions by the recent boycott, yet she did not retaliate- she negotiated! But, nevertheless, these same "die-hards" evidently expect me to pursue a sort of "gunboat policy" in the Customs and place the Chinese staff in a state of semi-vassalage; the pursuance of such a short-sighted policy would, indeed, "wreck the service," for it appears to me that the Chinese these days may be influenced, but they cannot be dragooned !
Yours sincerely,
160
[790 f-1]
F. W. MAZE.