CO129-416 - Public Offices - 1914 — Page 218

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The arrangements for giving effect to the decision eventually adopted by the Diplomatic Body are recorded in two documents, copies of which are enclosed herewith, the first being an identic letter of instructions addressed to the members of the bankers' commission by their respective Ministers, and the second a memorandum from me as dean of the Diplomatic Body to the Wai-chiao Pu.

I have, &c.

J. N. JORDAN.

Enclosure 1 in No. 21.

Sir J. Jordan to the Managers of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Banking Corporation

and the Chartered Bank of India, Australia, and China, Shanghai,

Sir,

Peking, January 18, 1913. WITH reference to the letter dated the 4th instant from the secretary of the International Bankers' Commission I beg to inform you that the Diplomatie Body have decided as follows:-

The balance to the credit of the maritime customs revenue on the 31st December, together with the balance to the credit of the native customs revenue on the same date, is to be remitted in the usual way to the various Governments in proportion to the sums due to them on account of the indemnity, for so many complete months as the sum may be sufficient to cover, with compound interest at 4 per cent. per annum.

A communication to the above effect is being addressed to the Chinese Government with the request that the necessary instructions may be issued to the Inspector-General of Customs for transmission by telegraph to the commissioner of customs at Shanghai.

You will be good enough to take note of this communication and give effect to the decision regarding the present balance without delay.

I am, &c.

J. N. JORDAN.

Enclosure 2 in No. 21.

Dean's Memorandum to the Wai-chiao Pu.

THE dean begs to refer the Wai-chiao Pu to article 6 of the eight articles arranged between the Diplomatic Body and the Wai-wu Pu in January, 1912, for devoting the customs revenues to the service of the foreign debt secured thereon. This article provides that if normal conditions are not restored by the end of 1912 then at that time an account shall be taken of the surplus available for the indemnity, and such account shall be sent to the Diplomatic Body for their decision as to its disposal.

The International Bankers' Commission, having now reported that the surplus so available amounts to a sum of 10,273,682-09 taels, the Diplomatic Body has decided that this sum, together with the balance of the native customs revenue on the 31st December, is to be remitted in the usual way to the various Governments in pro- portion to the sums due to them on account of the indemnity of 1901, for so many complete months as the sum may be sufficient to cover, with compound interest at 4 per cent per annum.

Instructions in the above sense are being issued to-day by the foreign representatives to the managers of their respective banks concerned, and the dean is directed to request that instructions to the same effect may be issued to the Inspector-General of Customs for transmission by telegraph to the commissioner of customs at Shanghai.

Peking, January 18, 1913.

[7366]

No. 25.

Sir,

Admiralty to Foreign Office.-(Received February 15.)

Admiralty, February 14, 1913. I AM commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to transmit herewith, for the information of the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, a copy of a

(1089]

• Not received at Foreign Office.

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