CO129-465 - Public Offices & Others - 1920 — Page 629

The Treat Says (428) tiar the Frog which

the Missions Trustées.

fossessed is the hands or to

This our dedett Lit

Lieut. I shove u have

Ishone

thought that this Covered to selling of the protects, the paying of debts to the lat

at A

p. the handing over to het proendo Hrustees.

Stein that the fakeet the: behanded

obel in Stati

میرم

& tear to Cat su:

By

hepfiale the site matters will the Trusters.

i don't think it would be wise to Qoft

Tate withou

the former Course, at any

defer to 70.

Wello luber a caveat when we to

hotly against te attempting to deal with Mission pwoperty which is treach Seeman?

ArtB. 26/11/20

Wiron 53743 Seat on with this. If haojworgeaces ne

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Sie P. Fiddes

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627

In January 1919 the Conference of Missionary Societies pressed us to deal with the Basel mission and other enemy missions in Hong Kong on the lines adopted in the Gold Coast. The Secretary of State explained the Gold Coast legislation to liong Kong, and in June 1919, an Ordinance was passed empowering the Governor to vest in the Custodian of Enemy Property any property of any enemy mission or any mission which is in his opinion one of enemy association or is one the determination of whose activities is for the security of Colonial or Imperial intereste required. The Governor clearly has power to deal with the Basel Mission in spite of its "Swiss" character, but there being no trading side to the mission in Hong Kong, there seems to be no call for any such elaborate arrangement as was made on the Gold Coast. In July 1919 Archdeacon Barnett of the Church Missionary Society Rev. T.W.Pearce of the London Mission and the Custodi an were appointed a Committee of Enquiry and on their recommendation they were subsequently constituted a Board of Trustees for the management of the properties and affairs of enemy missions generally (The Governor says "generally" but it would appear that the trustees are really only dealing with the Evangelical issions. Article 453 of the Peace Treaty is therefore being complied with). Some temporary arrangements have been

made for the charitable work of the Missions and the

Governor proposes to call on the Trustees to propound a

Fermanent scheme.

All we need do is to inform the

Conference of Missionary Societies in reply to their inquiry of the action taken?

The Governor also proposes that the Government

should recoup itself for expenses before handing over the

property. I agree with Mr. Bushe that this is not covered by the Peace treaty and had better be made a matter of

negotiation