59
Copy of confidential letter to Mr. J.W. Stephenson, London,
from Mr F.W. Maze, dated Shanghai, 16th April, 1930.
Dear Mr. Stephenson,
I have received the Annual Report of
the China Association, and would be glad if you will thank
Stanley Dodwell for his reference to the Customs. I also
read with interest his further remarks concerning the pro-
posed Customs Agreement with Hongkong. The opinions cited
as having been expressed by Shanghai in this connection
caused me no surprise (vide my confidential letter dated
18th February last). (1) We are told that if the
negotiations fall through "there would be no reaction
"detrimental to general British interests in China": how
a "Customs blockade", engendering 111-will all round and
probably antagonising Canton, could fail to seriously
damage, not to say strangle, Hongkong's local trade, and
thus impede the circulation of British goods, I fail utterly
to comprehend! (2) "The modification of Clause 5 would
"react detrimentally on British interests in China by
"weakening the position in regard to Coastal and Inland
"Waters rights in our present commercial Treaty negotiations.
I cannot really subscribe to such fallacious reasoning, and
I /
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