CO129-471 - Public Offices - 1921 — Page 73

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Agreement Sir à. Stubbs has confined himself almost exclusively to its local veneat, but I have the honour to point out that over and above the special interests of the Colony of langkong certain wider issues are also in involved. Apart from the benefits to British trade in South China generally that might be erected to accrue from the facilities provided under article Il any agree- mont affecting the Customs status of Hongkong has an important relation to the shole British position in China and should, I suggest, be considered in that connection ma voll na with regard to its purely local effects. from this wider standpoint even the objection urged by Sir A. Stubbs as his main reason for reversing his predeces- sor's policy the effect of the agreasent in increasing the price of salt is open to legitimate criticism. The reorganisation of the Chinese Salt administration, involv- ing an increase in the price of salt to the whole popula-

tion of China, has the full support and encouragement of His majesty's Government and is being oarried out under British direction. It sems therefore distinctly illogi-

cal for the Hongkong Government to base ita decision to

withdraw from the negotiations mainly on the ground that

under this agresumt the few hundred thousand Chinese in

Honkong would be placed on the enuse footing in this

respect as their fellow-countrymen on the mainland.

benving aside, however, any speciafic criticiz

of the Hongkong Govermeant's attitude I feel it my duty

to express the view that a question of such importance

to British interests generally in this country should be

treated as an integral part of our national policy in

China, and that any attempt to deal with it ne s murely

local oroblem, to be decided in accordance with the

changing views of macoessive Governors of the Colony of

klo nėškong.