110
23.
Hongkong fears renewal of blockade when Manking Government threatens to usurp tariff autonomy în 1927.
Hongkong despatch No. 70 of August 13, 1927 (p. 84 in 410 1927).
Hongkong despatch No. 71 of August 13, 1927 (p. 1 in 5M 1927).
20.
then the Nanking Government were
threatening to usurp tariff autonomy in
1927, Sir C. Clementi feared that this
would mean the break-up of the Customs
administration, and the sinification of
the service (involving the British o om-
missioner at Hongkong), and he began to
oast around for means of dealing with
this situation, which he seemed to think
(though his despatches on this point were
not very consistent) was aggravated by
the fact that H.M.G. would not recognise
regional authorities in matters of this
nature, or allow Hongkong to settle
direot with Canton. The threatened
increase of the import duties brought
to life the bogey of a revived blockade,
for it seemed certain that smuggling
would increase to an unprecedented ex-
tent and require very stern measures of
repression. Sir C. Clementi made no new
suggestions, however, as to how his
Government proposed to deal with the
difficulty, beyond saying that, if the
Chinese behaved themselves in the matter
of the Customs, he would be prepared to
give formal recognition to the Chinese
Customs office in Hongkong. Colonel
Hayley-Bell, then commissioner at Lowloon,
speaking of the increase of smuggling,
laid stress of the activities of Japanese
motor-junks along the Chinese coast.
/21.