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8
opportunity of looking into the matter and studying the
past correspondence, and I came to the conclusion that the
first step to be taken was to press for a reply to our 1930
proposals; if it was then found possible to induce the
Chinese Government to accept the principle of exemption
for transient visitors from the operation of the
Nationality Law, the details of an agreement on that basis
could no doubt be elaborated without great difficulty.
5. I arrived in Nanking on February 1st and raised this
question with the Minister for Foreign Affairs on the same
dey. I explained the points at issue and referred to
the proposals which I had.put before Dr.C.T.Wang three
years ago in February 1930. I added that in spite of
repeated reminders it had been found impossible at that
time to interest the Wai Chiao Pu in the question and I
urged as strongly as I could the desirability of now
reverting to it and reaching a final settlement with
the least possible delay.
72770/30
6. The Minister for Foreign Affairs was evidently not
acquainted with the recent history of the controversy and
diverged into a dissertation about the Chinese Nationality
Law and the principle of jus sanguinis on which it was
based. But, as a jurist, and concurrently Minister of
Justice, Dr.Lo was at least well up in the purely
legal aspect of the case, and it was clear from the way
he spoke that there could be no question of his agreeing
to anything which would run counter to the principles of
the Law. Mr. Hsu Mo, the Vice-Minister, who was also
present at the interview, on the other hand, had the
whole