109
Strank
(erson
92089/32.
China of British subjects of Chinese race was one of the
subjects raised by Sir Cecil Clementi and Sir John Scott.
I was shown a copy of Singapore despatch, Secret
No.365/32, of September 26th, 1932, to the Colonial Office,
in which Sir Cecil Clementi expressed the hope that the
earliest possible opportunity might be taken to effect an
arrangement with the Chinese Government along the lines
that His Majesty's Government should recognise the
Chinese nationality in China of persons of dual Anglo-
Chinese nationality on the understanding that no obstacles
would be placed in the way of such persons abandoning
Chinese nationality by the formal process of denationalisation
and subject to a special exemption in the case of transit
visitors..
And I was requested to take the matter up
with the Chinese Government and press for asettlement on
the above lines. Sir John Scott and Mr.Goodman
(Secretary for Chinese affairs) explained that they
required nothing more than a settlement on the bare
conditions outlined above and urged very strongly that
such an understanding should be reached with the least
possible delay. I had no papers with me and was in
any case unable during the short time at my disposal in
Singapore to go properly into the question; but I
undertook, provided I had not received and did not in the
• meantime receive any instructions to the contrary, to take
the matter up with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, and
to seek a settlement on the above lines on my arrival
in Nanking.
During my journey North I was afforded the
opportunity
Page 80Page 81