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NO CONFIDENTIAL.
Sir,
445
GOVERNMENT HOUSE.
i
HONGKONG.
15th August, 1914.
I have the honour to transmit the enclosed copy of
a letter from the General Officer Commanding the Troops, South China, on the subject of the status of the British Concession, Shamien, Canton.
The points about which Major-General Kelly is very naturally exercised are the lack of control of the movements of Germans resident in the Shamien and of a censorship of postal correspondence and telegrams there, very seriously prejudices the censorship in this Colony and is for other reasons undesirable.
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I have discussed the situation with Major-General Kelly and His Majesty's Consul-General at Canton who visited Hongkong for the purpose and the conclusion arrived at was that it was not possible to suggest any effective measures for dealing with what is undoubtedly an unsatisfactory condition, by reason of the accessibility to the Chinese telegraph and post offices in Canton City which would render useless any censorship in the Shamien itself.
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Similarly any attempt to restrict the movements of Germana residing on the Shamien would be neutralised by these residents removing to Chinese soil beyond the Shamien.
The view which Mr. Jamieson and I expressed to Major-General Kelly is that although the British Concession on the Shamien is the property of the Crown, held as it is under perpetual lease, it is not territory over which the Crown can exercise sovereign rights. It is not, therefore, British territory, but THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
LEWIS HARCOURT,
do
&c.
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