Brocos.
77
only fair that they should obtain, during the limited
period of such visit, protection as British subjects
under the conditions and for the period stated in His
Majesty's Minister's note attached to the letter to Dr. C.T. Wang of the 11th February, 1930. in 8o.
4.
3on 72770/30
I do not know what progress has been made
during the past year to obtain an understanding with
the Chinese National Government based on His Majesty's
Minister's note. Sir Miles Lampson when in Singapore stated at the Conference held to discuss Chinese Affairs,
a verbatim report of the proceedings of which was sent
to Your Lordship under cover of Mr. Scott's Straits
Settlements Secret Despatch of the 25th February, 1931,
that this question of dual nationality was at a standstill.
It is, in the view of these Governments, of the utmost
importance that an understanding on these lines should be
reached as soon as possible, in order that in British
Malaya it may be possible to draw a sharp line between
the British subject of Chinese race, who regards himself
as a British subject and has in many cases been for
generations domiciled here, and the alien immigrant from
China.
5.
Your Lordship has in your despatch of the 9th
April stated clearly that any pretension of a Chinese
Consul to interfere on behalf of British subjects or of
British protected persons of Chinese race in Malaya should
be firmly resisted.
In the absence of an understanding with the Chinese
Government and in view of the principle that "a State
may not afford diplomatic protection to one of its
nationals against a State whose nationality such person
also possesses", it has become impossible for these
Governments