CO129-451 - Public Offices - 1918 — Page 305

C.O

10843

008

444.

REC

17561).

P

REC 4 MAR 18

December 26th, 1918.

301

Sir:-

In my despatch No. 263 of September

23rd 1916 to Lord Grey, I forwarded a copy of the draft of the revised "Anglo-Chinese Customs Agreement of Hongkong' as received from the Governor of the

Colony.

Since that time local negotiations have continued and in April last Mr. Alston received from Sir H. May a copy of his despatch of March 21st to the Secretary of State for the Colonies reporting the adoption of certain amendments in the text of the draft at the recommendation of Sir Richard Dane and Mr. Harris, Commissioner of Customs at Hongkong. The matter has now been raised by the Chinese Government in the correspondence of which. I have the honour to enclose copies for your inform-

ation.

These Notes have been forwarded to the Governor of Hongkong in a despatch of which I similarly enclose a copy, and it is to be hoped that this long drawn out question may at last be within reasonable

distance of a settlement.

I have &c.,

(Signed) J.N.Jordan.

The Right Honourable,

A.J.Balfour, 0.F., M.P..

ac..

Foreign Office,

Whitehall.