CO129-344 - Public Offices & Foreign Office - 1907 — Page 219

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

CHINA TRADE.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[16203]

No. 1.

218

C

[May 18.] SECTION REC

REG! 6 JUN 07

19995

Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received May 18.)

(No. 154. Confidential.) Sir,

IN continuation of previous correspondence, I have the honour to transmit to you

Peking, March 30, 1907. herewith copy of a despatch from His Majesty's Consul-General at Mukden relative to questions of taxation and residence at that place and other towns recently opened to foreign trade in Manchuria,

It will be noticed that the American Consul-General joined his colleagues in protesting against any curtailment of the right of residence within the city, and that the German Consul significantly abstained from doing so,

In the American case the explanation may possibly be that the United States' Minister had not at that time received the formal approval of his Government to the proposal mentioned in my despatch No. 96, Confidential, of the 20th February last, for limiting the right of residence to the Settlement area. received.

This approval he has since

The German Consul's action was probably influenced by a reluctance to associate himself with Japanese methods of procedure. The German Legation here, even more than the Russian, regards Japanese policy in the East as deliberately aggressive, and credits Japan with a desire to make trouble in China for her own ends.

The result of the American defection and the German abstention cannot fail to strengthen the hands of the Chinese in their determination to place the Manchurian marts on the footing of Chinan Fu and other places "opened by China herself.” Fortunately, the question of taxation is solved for the moment, as in practice the Chinese concede to our goods the exemption from duty claimed by the Japanese.

I have, &c.

(Signed)

Inclosure 1 in No. 1.

Consul General Fulford to Sir J. Jordan.

J. N. JORDAN.

(No. 12.) Sir,

Mukden, March 15, 1907. I HAVE the honour to inclose copy and Chinese version of a 23rd ultimo, which I addressed to the Tartar General of Mukden, in conformity with the despatch dated the directions conveyed in your despatch No. 10 of the 12th ultimo, ou the subject of the Treaty port limits of open towns in Manchuria.

On the 20th February a Proclamation by the Mukden Police authorities was issued, of which I inclose copy and translation, to the effect that any person renting house property to foreigners must first receive the sanction of the police. On the 8th instant this Proclamation was considered at a meeting of the Consular Body, and, with the exception of the German Consul, it was resolved to address an identical note to the Tartar General requesting its withdrawal. The Consuls-General of Japan, America, and I were of opinion that the effect of such a Proclamation would be a great obstacle to foreigners obtaining houses in Mukden, The German Consul thought we should wait until some actual case of obstruction occurred before taking action, and that we should trust the good faith of the Chinese officials in the matter, who had assured him that the Proclamation was not intended as an obstruction, but as a protection to foreigners against being swindled.

inclose copy and Chinese version of my despatch to the Tartar General, dated the

14th instant.

The situation as regards Treaty port areas remains unsettled. The Chinese authorities evade definite cases up to the present by waiving the taxation of foreign goods imported by foreigners. For instance, I had lately occasion to discuss the ques- tion of some sugar imported by Messrs. Butterfield and Swire. The sugar was sent up

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