DIEJ
2.
DROP
Government House, 3 ong ong.
379
perfectly prepared to let Hong Kong change its status
or anything else, so long as they attain their object.
At the same time, I think that even in this they are
short-sighted: they may not care at the moment whether
Hong Kong is a British colony or a China treaty port,
but, once it was reduced to a China treaty port, heaven
only knows what its future would be eventually.
Maze has produced a "yellow book", giving the
history of the Customs Agreement negotiations, including
even the confidential draft, and asked that it should be
circulated to Executive and Legislative Councils. I
said that, as it contained confidential documents, the
publication of which had not been approved, I could not
allow it to be circulated to members of Legislative
Council. I have, however, circulated it to Executive
Council. It is an interesting book and is, on the whole,
a fair statement of facts; but I should say that its
object is somewhat one-sided.
I suggested that Maze should allow his represen-
tative here, Osborne, to discuss with Lloyd, Superin-
tendent of Imports and Exports, entirely without