21.
108
Hongkong dea- patch Feb. 17 1920 (ibid).
even if taxation were excluded, the control of salt
smuggling would involve the colony in expenditure
which was not compensated for by the other "nebulous"
advantages offered in the agreement. In any case,
The
the Chinese Government could only blame itself owing
to its procrastination, and signature would be of
little value seeing that the Chinese Government no
longer controlled the two Kuang provinces.
Legation thought that Hongkong were much too inclined
to ignore the general advantages which would accrue
to British trade in China through the inland navi-
gation and transit trading privileges (Articles 5, 6, 7, 8, and 9) of the Agreement, and pressed for
consultation with the commercial interests concerned
before the Agreement was definitely dropped. The
Governor delayed replying to this proposal so long
that a chance of ascertaining the views of the
Associated Chambers of Commerce at their meeting in
Shanghai in November 1920 was lost, but in any case
a tentative suggestion that the question should be
placed in the agenda of the conference had met with
little interest or response from the Shanghai Chamber.
Finally, the Governor said he thought there were no
good grounds for the commercial secretary at Hongkong
(Mr. Jamieson was there then) discussing the question
with the commercial community, and that there was
some prospect of the Canton authorities adhering
to a fresh draft agreement, in which no reference
to salt would be made. Sir R.E. Stubbs wrote semi-
officially to Sir B. Alaton that he would "see the
"Government of China and the F.0. and the Chamber
"of Commerce and anybody else collectively and
"individually damed" before he would agree to
/tax