CO129-344 - Public Offices & Foreign Office - 1907 — Page 226

[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.] 225

CHINA TRADE.

CONFIDENTIAL.

[15599]

No. 1.

[May 13.]

SECTION 4.

Mr. H. Lowther to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received May 13.)

(No. 71.) Sir,

WITH reference to Sir J. Jordan's despatch No. 144 of the 20th ultimo, I have

Tokió, April 11, 1907. the honour to transmit herewith a cutting from the "Japan Daily Mail" of the 9th instant, respecting the customs régime to be established in the Liaotung Peninsula, which I am informed by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs is substantially correct.

I have, &c.

(Signed)

HENRY CROFTON LOWTHER.

Inclosure in No. 1.

Extract from the "Japan Daily Mail" of April 9, 1907.

THE LIAOTUNG CUSTOMS.-Uncertainty as to the system of customs that is contemplated in the Liaotung Peninsula seems to be dispelled by a statement attributed to Mr. Kurosawa, Commissioner of Customs at Tairen, who has just returned from a tour of inspection at Kiaochow, where he examined the working of the German system. He is represented ("Jiji Shimpo's" telegrams) as saying that the discussion hitherto carried on with reference to this question between the Chinese Government and Sir Robert Hart has now been definitely concluded, and preparations have been made such that the Customs can be opened at any moment. The main points are that the whole of the Japanese leased territory on the Liaotung Peninsula will be made a free area, and, in the main, the rules originally enforced at Kiaochow will become operative in Kwantung. Thus no import duties will be levied on goods arriving over-sea unless they are put on the train for carriage to some point outside the leased territory. For the purpose of goods which, having entered that territory, are subsequently transported across its northern frontier into Manchuria, there will be a customs station at Pulantien. As for the rules required to give effect to this system, they will be drawn up by the Japanese Department of Finance and the Foreign Department in consultation with the Chinese Government. All the officials employed at the Customs will be Japanese subjects.

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