305168/37/10.
Confidential.
532
21...1.
25th September, 1930.
sir.
I um directed by ur. Secretary Henderson to
acknowledge the receit of your letter No.72751/▲/1930
of the 12th instant regarding the negotiations for a custome
agreement between Hongkong and China, and to explain that
Lord Passfield was not consulted before the despatch of
Mr.Henderson's telegram to His Majesty's Minister at Feking
of the 21st August because the telegram was intende. merely
to elicit Sir ailes lampson's views on the questions set out
in it, incuding the bearing of readiness or unreadiness to
meet "hinese wishes in such matters as the austome agreement
on Chinese aspirations for the recovery of the owloon
leased territories. There was no intention whatever of
suggesting that His Majesty's Government favoured the early
return of thes territories to China; on the contrary, the
purpose of the telegram was mainly to promote consideration
of the policy best adapted to retain them in British
Occupation.
2.
A copy of Sir Miles Lampson's reply to Mr.Henderson's
telegram is enclosed. As regards the first paragraph, I am
to observe that the Secretary of State had no thought, as
His Majesty's Minister supposes, of raising the question
of the leased territories with the Chinese Government or
of endeavouring to strike a bargain.
The Under-Secretary of State,
Colonial Office.
3.