CO129-471 - Public Offices - 1921 — Page 61

Enclosure in Peking Despatch No.191 of April 13th.,1921. 60

Anglo-Chinese Customs Convention (Hongkong)

Précis of Correspondence

The negotiations with regard to this question date back to 1910 when discussions took place between the Governor of Fongkong (Sir 7.Lugard) and Mr. A.H. Harris, then formissioner of Customs at Kowloon, with a view to improving trade facilities between Hongkong and China whilst at the same

These time safe-guarding the interests of the Chinese Customs revenue. discussions culminated in the drawing up tof a Convention, of which a final draft was submitted to the Colonial Office by the Governor under cover of a despatch dated, February 11th, 1911. Correspondence ensued between the Colonial and Foreign Offices, and on Lay 3rd, 1911 the latter wrote to the Under Secretary of State for the Colonies expressing approval of the draft subject to a few verbal alterations, including the substitu- tion of the term "Agreement" for "Convention". These suggestions were accepted by the Colonial Office and on May 11th 1911 the Secretary of State wrote to Sir F.Lugard approving the agreement as amended and expres sing the view that it should be signed, if possible, simulataneously with the Canton-Kowloon Railway agreement then in course of negotiation, A copy of the draft agreement was sent to this Legation on May 26th 1911. During the following five years no further correspondence on the subject between Hongkong and the Legation appears in our records, but it would seem that for the time being Hongkong decided not to proceed with the negotiations.

So far as this Legation is concerned the question was next raised in 1916, when Sir H. Nay, who had succeeded Sir F. Lugard as Governor of Hongkong, audressed a despatch to Sir J. Jordan on August 21st enclosing copy of a revised draft Convention, together with a memorandum“ prepared by Mr. Harris and a note of an interview between that gentleman and the Governor. The Governor's despatch explains that the Articles to which the Hongkong Government attaches special importance are those numbered IX (having reference to the treatment of goods passing through Colony en route from one port in China to another) and XIII (h) (Fixing the rate of exchange for payment of duties on the Canton-Kowloon Railway).

In order to secure these facilities the Governor is prepared to proceed( at once with the legislation contemplated under the Articles dealing with

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