CO129-468 - Governor Sir Stubbs - 1921 [6-8] — Page 512

CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案 All

printing

Above

outlook has altered

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afford to wait for

the result of the Washington louf's before deciding

about printing

26.11.11

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Mr Fiddian

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20/9/23

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507

SIR E. STUBBS' REPORT ON WEI-HAI-WEI.

A. Tenure

There are three possibilities:- abandonment, partial

abandonment, and retention.

(1) abandonment. Sir E.Stubbs' does not discuss this, and

Mr.Churchill has definitely decided against it.

(2) Bir E.Stubbs discuss es at some length the possibili-

ties of retaining only either the island of Liu Kong Tao,

or the island plus a small district round Port Edward. He

does not regard either as a satisfactory arrangement, for

reasons which appear sufficient. Probably Mr.Churchill

would not in any case be prepared to agree to any such

arrangement.

This therefore leaves only

(3) retention.

On the assumption that Wei-hai-wel is to be retained,

the

it remains to consider in what respects our ten re could be

set on a more satisfactory basis. Such a change of basis is a matter of foreign policy and/necessary negotiations and declarations can only be made at a time when they are not likely to involve us in any serious difficulties, since the prospects of Wei-hai-wei are not of such a character as to

make it worth while to court such difficulties.

(It may

be observed, en passant, that the prospect of finding a time at which Foreign Office would not anticipate serious difficulties is decidedly vague and remote).

The possible changes (to which attention has been draw) from time to time by this Department) are

(a) lease to be placed on a definite basis for a named term of years. Such term of years would most conveniently

be the same as that for which the Japanese hold Port Arthur

viz: a 99 years' lease in all.

(b)

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