CO129-338 - Public Offices & Others - 1906 — Page 98

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[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]

AFFAIRS OF CHINA.

CONFIDENTIAL.

94

[September 26.]

SECTION 2 CO

41844

[32513]

Sir,

No. 1.

China Association to Foreign Office.—(Received September 200 K NOV 05

159, Cannon Street, London, September 24, 1906. THE China Association desire, in acknowledging the receipt of your letter of the 7th instant, to express their deep regret at the attitude which His Majesty's Government have thought it sufficient to adopt in regard to the recent action of the Chinese Government towards the Imperial Maritime Customs.

The Association is wholly unable to acquiesce in the view that the publication by Sir Robert Hart of the verbal instructions of the Commissioners can have any valid or permanent effect on the operations of an authority constituted by Imperial edict, or can offer any sort of guarantee that the administration of the Imperial Maritime Customs will not be interfered with, and its integrity sapped, by the insidions operations of the Commissioners or their employés.

It must be admitted that it has become more and more difficult, in recent years, to induce the Chinese Government to give effect to its Treaty obligations; and the Association can see no prospect of achieving any greater success when exception has to be taken to the exercise of functions performed under an Imperial edict which can always be textually appealed to, notwithstanding any gloss put upon it by Prince Ching or the Imperial Commissioners.

The Committee feel, therefore, that they are performing a simple act of duty in the interests of foreign, but especially of British, trade with China in again pressing on His Majesty's Government further action, in concert, if possible, with other Powers, in order to provide against any interference with the administration of the Imperial Maritime Customs as constituted and carried out at the time the Chinese Government gave the undertakings to which reference was made in the Association's letter of the 31st ultimo.

I have, &c. (Signed) R. S. GUNDRY,

President, China Association.

[21.46 cc-2]