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Inspector General, was compelled to resign and
Mr. F.W. Maze was appointed substantive Inspector
General by the Nanking Government at the
beginning of this year have, I fear, inflicted a
mortal injury on the service.
It is very
generally believed in the Chinese treaty-ports
that Mr. Maze was appointed Inspector General by
the Nanking Government with the underlying object
that before long he should retire and make way for
a Chinese successor in that office, an appointment
which would definitely lead to the abolition of
the Foreign Inspectorate. This belief is much
strengthened by the statement made by
Marshal Chiang Kai-shek at Nanking on the 1st
instant according to the enclosed newspaper
cutting, to the effect that "within one year
China will be in a position to regain full
control of the Customs service", and that "the
complete control of the Maritime Customs would
finally break the economic bond which has
harnessed China for many years".
3.
If in a fit of folly the Foreign
Inspectorate of the Chinese Maritime Customs
were abolished, and if it were proposed by the
Nanking Government or any other Chinese
regional authority to replace the British
Commissioner of Chinese Maritime Customs and
his staff, now resident in Hong Kong, by
officials of Chinese race, it would (as I have
already informed you) become necessary for this
Government to insist on the removal of the Chinese
Customs House from this Colony.
In view of
Marshal