CO129-431 - Governor Sir May - 1916 [1-2] — Page 124

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not entitled to British protection in China if rogistered for the first time subsequently to the date of the Circular of 1904. The difficulty felt here, however, as that the clause in section 4 (12) (e) in the Deportation Ordinances, 1912-1914, "or is register- -ed in a British Consulate in China as a person entitled to 122 British protection in China", must refer to some Consuler registration, and the only form of Consular registration in existence is a registration of persons as British subjects sin- -pliciter, there being no separate register of my persons as persons entitled to protection. The point was considered at the time in the case of the Chinese referred to in my Confidential Despatch of the 17th. June, 1915, but it was felt that it would be very difficult to convince the Court that the clause in questior did not refer to the one form of registration in existence. It was also felt that if an attempt had been made to convince the Court that the Chinese in question was not covered by the clause referred to, somewhat delicate questions of policy might be raised which it would be inexpedient to discuss in open Court.

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I have the honour to be,

sir,

Your most obedient,

humble servant,

Arnaz

Governor, &c..