112
25.
(p.183 in 410)
Customs Preventive measures ; Mr.Maze's
memo
(p.1 in 5 Y)
(p.2 in 5 Y)
July Conferences at Hongkong with 1.0.
Bureau.
Mr. Brown thought that the inevitable
result of all this would be to divert the
merchanting business from foreign into Chinese
hands, and drive the foreign merchant more and
more into partnership with Chinese (which would
not necessarily be a bad thing for the British
manufacturer).
23. Mr. Maze sent us a memo. stating that the
new tariff had given a big impetus to smuggling,
and the Customs must therefore develop their
preventive service, including armed guards on
the land frontiers (e.g. Kowloon) and the better
arming of the preventive launch service.
himself was going to Hongkong to investigate
these possibilities.
He
24. A conference was accordingly held in Hong-
kong in July 1929, attended by the Governor,
the I.G. of Customs, and the Consul-General at Canton
Hongkong, with their various experts.
Mr.
Kase presented his credentials from the Chinese
Government, together with his proposals regard-
ing the preventive service, and a suggested
plan of co-operation on the basis of the dis.
oarded Harris agreement. The 18 articles of
that draft were subjected to examination and
adopted with some amendments designed to meet
ectual conditions. The actual terma of this
draft agreement will be discussed later in this
meno. The conference gave hope of the speedy
conclusion of some agreement satisfactory to
all concerned. The Minister of Finance in-
formed H.M. Minister's personal representative
that the new agreement appeared satisfactory,
/though