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manufacturing countries as will tend to prevent
the use of these arms and munitions for the fomenting
of civil disturbance in China. We desire also that
there may be such practical uniformity of procedure
among all the Governments concerned that these
measures of supervision and control may not result
in giving advantages to the manufacturers and exporters
of one country which are not enjoyed by the manufacturers
and exporters of other countries.
It would appear that were this Government to
adopt the procedure suggested in your note under acknow-
ledgment, the result might be, unless your Government
and other Governments adopted a simila procedure, that
the loophole which I pointed out in my note of January 10
might be closed in respect to arms and munitions of
American origin while remaining open in respect to arms
and munitions of British and other origins.
origins. I should
appreciate it, therefore, if you could find it possible
to inform me as to whether in case this Government were
to transmit copies of export licenses to the Government
of Hong Kong, that Government would apply to arms and
munitions of British or other origins a procedure
similar to that which would be applied to arms and muni-
tions exported from the United States.
Accept, Excellency, the renewed assurances
of my highest consideration.
For the Secretary of State:
(SGD) William Phillips.