53
PARAPHRASE TELEGRAM from the secretary of State for Dominion
Affairs to the High Commissioner in the Union of South Africa for
His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom.
(Sent 7.0 p.m., 21st April, 1931)
Secret. No.36,
Reference my Secret telegram lia.34 of the 16th April,
regarding extraterritoriality in China.
In order to mast the
Chinese desire that treaty should, as far as possible, be drafted in reciprocal terms (see the penultimate paragraph of my telegram) a special clause as devised by us to be added with the appropriate variations to each article where reciprocity was desired providing for grant of bensfits under the treaty to
It has now been Chinese citizens in the United Kingdom only. reported by His Majesty's Minister at Peking that the Chiness have accepted this clause with appropriate variations, and that in their anxiety to reach an immediate settlement they have refrained from raising the question of benefits in other parta of the Empire. This affords confirmation of our view that tha Union Government, by participating in proposed Treaty, will run less risk of provoking the Chinese Government to raise awkward questions in regard to the treatment of Chinese in the Union of South Africa than if they stand out and settle separately with the Chinese Government. Indeed it would appear that
participation in treaty in common with all other parts of the Empire would provide the Union Government with a favourabla opportunity for securing the maximum benefits for Union nationals companies and ships in China without exposing themselves to
unwelcome demands from the Chiness in return, this further information will give you an opportunity of again
approaching the Union Government and securing a favourable reply
It is hoped that
to