CO129-361 - Public Offices - 1909 — Page 132

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

CHINA TRADE.

CONFIDENTIAL.

(13507]

No. 1.

130

[April 10.]

SECTION 2.

Sir,

Colonial Office to Foreign Office.--(Received April 10.)

Downing Street, April 8, 1909.

I AM directed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies to transmit to you copy of a despatch from the Governor of Hong Kong, with inclosures, on the subject of the boycott of Japanese goods in Hong Kong.

I am, &c.

(Signed)

FRANCIS J. S. HOPWOOD.

Inclosure 1 in No. 1.

Governor Sir F. Lugard to the Earl of Crewe,

(Confidential.) My Lord,

Government House, Hong Kong, March 3, 1909. WITH reference to your Lordship's telegram of the 9th December, 1908, I have the honour to transmit, for your information, the inclosed copy of a letter from His Majesty's Ambassador at Tôkió, giving cover to a note from Count Komura expressing the thanks of the Japanese Government for the action taken by this Government for the suppression of the movement to boycott dealers in Japanese goods in this Colony.

I have, &c. (Signed) F. D. LUGARD.

4

Sir,

Inclosure 2 in No. 1.

Sir C. MacDonald to Governor Sir F. Lugard.

Tokió, February 8, 1909. HAVING without loss of time brought the contents of your Excellency's despatch of the 14th ultimo to the notice of the Japanese Government, I have much pleasure in now forwarding translation of a note which I have received from Count Komura acknowledging the energetic action taken by your Excellency to suppress the Chinese movement for the boycott of Japanese goods at Hong Kong, and expressing in particular the sincere thanks of the Japanese Government for your Excellency's assurance that any recrudescence of that agitation will be put down with a strong hand.

I have, &c.

(Signed) CLAUDE M. MACDONALD.

(Translation.) Sir,

Inclosure 3 in No. 1.

Count Komura to Sir C. MacDonald,

February 6, 1909. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Excellency's note of the 27th ultimo with reference to the action taken by the Hong Kong Government against the Chinese agitation for the exclusion of Japanese goods.

In reply, I have the honour to state that the Imperial Government were already aware of the fact that the force of the movement for the boycott of Japanese merchandize at Hong Kong has recently declined in a marked degree, and had already also recognized with pleasure that, as your Excellency points out, the success of the

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