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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O.885
18 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
8
They have, however, come to the definite conclusion that the limitation of the sources from which sugar may enter the United Kingdom, whether by prohibition or by the imposition of countervailing duties, is inconsistent with their declared policy and incompatible with the interests of British consumers and sugar-using manufac turers, and that, consequently, it will be impossible for them to continue to give effect to the provisions of the Convention requiring them to penalize sugars declared by the Permanent Commission to be bounty-fed.
At the same time His Majesty's Government share the desire of the French Government that there should be no revival of sugar bounties or of sugar trusts or cartels dependent on the existence of high protective tariffs which are now prohibited under the Convention. Nor is there any desire or intention on their own part that any bounties on the production or exportation of sugar shall be given in the United Kingdom or in the sugar-exporting Colonies, or that any preference shall be given to cane as against beet sugar, or to Colonial sugars as against the sugars of the Contracting States on importation into the United Kingdom or the Crown Colonies.
They have, therefore, instructed His Majesty's Minister at Brussels to bring the above considerations to the notice of the Belgian Government, and have intimated that, should the other Contracting States concur in this course, they will be prepared to remain a party to the Sugar Convention if they can be released, by special agree- ment, from the obligations imposed by Article IV. of the Convention.
His Majesty's Government hope that the course suggested will prove acceptable to the other contracting Powers. They are confident that the French Government will recognize in the proposal an earnest desire on the part of His Majesty's Govern- ment to meet, as far as possible, the wishes of the French Government in the matter. Foreign Office,
19684
June 4, 1907.
No. 8.
QUEENSLAND.
THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE GOVERNOR.
(Miscellaneous.)
SIR,
Downing Street, June 4, 1907. I HAVE the honour to request that you will be good enough to inform the Secretary to The Charters Towers Chamber of Commerce and Mines that I have duly received his letter of the 20th April* urging, on behalf of the Chamber, that His Majesty's Government should not withdraw from the Brussels Sugar Convention.
I have, &c.,
ELGIN.
20003
No. 9.
FOREIGN OFFICE to COLONIAL OFFICE.
(Received June 6, 1907.)
The Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs presents his compliments
to the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies, and, by direction of the Secretary
of State, transmits herewith copy of the under-mentioned paper.
Foreign Office,
June 5, 1907.
• No. 6.
Name and Date.
9
DESCRIPTION OF ENCLOSURE.
Subject.
To Sir A. Hardinge, Brussels, June 1st, No. 35... The United Kingdom and the Sugar Convention. Sent also to the Treasury, India Office, and Board of Trade.
(No. 35.
Commercial.)
Enclosure in No. 9.
Foreign Office, June 1, 1907.
pub-
[Also lished as [Cd. 3577],
SIR,
HIS MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT have had under consideration the question of June, 1907]. the steps which it will be necessary for them to take with regard to the participation of this country in the Sugar Convention when the date arrives on which it will be possible for any of the Contracting States to give a year's notice to retire from the Convention under the provisions of Article 10 of that Instrument. In consider- ing this matter, they have naturally felt themselves bound to give the greatest weight to the interests of consumers and producers in the United Kingdom and the British Colonies; but, subject to this paramount consideration, they have desired to give proper weight to the circumstances, and possible wishes of the other Contracting States.
His Majesty's Government have come to the definite conclusion that the limita- tion of the sources from which sugar may enter the United Kingdom, whether by prohibition or by the imposition of countervailing duties, is inconsistent with their declared policy and incompatible with the interests of British consumers and sugar- using manufacturers; and that, consequently, it will be impossible for them to continue to give effect to the provisions of the Convention requiring them to penalise sugars declared by the Permanent Commission to be bounty fed.
At the same time His Majesty's Government have no desire that there should be a revival of sugar bounties or of sugar trusts or cartels dependent on the existence of high protective tariffs which are now prohibited under the Convention. Nor is there any desire or intention on their own part, that any bounties on the production or exportation of sugar shall be given in the United Kingdom or in the sugar-export- ing Crown Colonies, or that any preference shall be given to cane as against beet sugar, or to Colonial sugars as against the sugars of the Contracting States on importation into the United Kingdom or the Crown Colonies.
The President of the Permanent Sugar Commission at Brussels, having very courteously tendered to the British delegate the good offices of the Belgian Govern- ment in regard to any discussions which might take place concerning the termina- tion or prolongation of the Convention, I have thought it desirable to request you, without loss of time, to bring the foregoing considerations to the notice of the Belgian Government with a view to their communication to the Governments of the Contracting States.
Should these Governments come to the conclusion that the wishes and intentions of His Majesty's Government as indicated above can only be realised by the com- plete withdrawal of this country from the Convention, His Majesty's Government will be prepared to give the necessary notice on the first possible date..
It is, however, possible that in the special circumstances of the case the other Contracting States might judge it to be preferable to accord to the United Kingdom, by a supplementary Protocol, a special exemption from the obligation to enforce the penal provisions of the Convention. They might be the more disposed to take this course, inasmuch as such an exemption would be unlikely, at all events for a considerable period, to have any material effect of a prejudicial character upon the export trade in sugar from any of the Contracting States. You should point out that it has already been found that the special circumstances of a particular Contracting State make it desirable that it should be exempted from certain stipu- lations of the Convention. Thus, to Italy, Sweden, and Switzerland there have been accorded special exemptions from the stipulations of the Convention that were not appropriate to the conditions of the trade of those countries.
250
B
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