CO129-368 - Acting Governor May - 1910 [8-9] — Page 387

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Maritime Customs, as embodied in the draft agreement. The

concessions therein contained may prove sufficiently

attractive to induce the Chinese Government to concede the

principles contained in the draft Working Agreement. But

whatever decision may be arrived at, I desire to emphasize

the intimate connection which exists between the two

draft agreements and the consequent necessity for arrang-

-ing that negotiations in connection with them should

proceed simultaneously.

Negotiations with regard to the

Working Agreement are at a standstill pending the appoint-

-ment of a successor to Mr. Wei Han, whose resignation of

office in connection with the Chinese Section of the

Kowloon-Canton Railway has been accepted, and in the mean-

-time I do not propose to take any steps to proceed fur-

-ther with the subject of the Customs Convention. When

negotiations are begun it is essential that they should

be initiated by the Chinese Government and not by this

Government. This can be arranged with the Chinese Imperial

Maritime Customs.

6.

As Sir F. D. Lugard and Sir John

Jordan are both in England, I venture to suggest that Your

Lordship should discuss and settle with them the line of

action