CO129-383 - Public Offices - 1911 — Page 11

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with no Chinese allegiance at all. (See Minute by Mr.

Hurst on pages 6 and 23 of print).

It may be that the solution lies in encouraging

all Anglo-Chinese, who may so desire to divest them-

selves of their Chinese status (as it appears they can

now do without much difficulty under the new law).

Will you think there matters over on your journey

out and advise us what course you recommend to remove

these difficulties, when you get back to Peking.

Jopy.

(9312)

Dear Campbell:-

PEKING,

February 19th, 1911.

I had not lost sight of your semi-officiel

letter of the 10th November last, respecting Anglo-

Chinese in China, but my difficulty has been to offer

any suggestion which would contribute to a practical

solution of the many difficulties which surround this

thorny question.

I em in general agreement with your suggested

solution and also with the views expressed by Mr. Max

Müller in his despatch No.240 of the 25th July last,

but as I will have occasion to explain later on, the

situation has changed considerably since he wrote and

the possibility of finding a solution by falling in to

some extent with the general principles of the Chinese

Nationality Law is not so practicable as it then was.

My opinion has always been that the Circular

of 1904 was too widely drawn and that it was a mistake

to extend British protection in China to persons born

in Hongkong of Chinese parents, subjects of the

Emperor