CO129-482 - Public Offices - 1923 — Page 681

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12606/2673/317).

↑ 7212/2673/317.

The Chinese Herchants Bank, Limited,

36, Rue Chaignean,

Baigon.

30th October, 1983.

30

Excellency,

I beg to have received your Excellency's letter of the 17th July 1923, relative to the matter of ill-treatment of British subjects of Chinese race by the French Authorities at Saigon, and I thank your Excellency for the kindness of making an

enquiry on the subject.

The fact that the local Immigration office has made discrimination in prejudice of British subjects in immigration matters has been due to two legal points erroneously held by Mr. Philippe, the French Official in charge of that offics. He claimed through wrong interpretation of terms firstly that a British subject was not entitled to the same rights and privileges as a British person, and secondly that the French Authorities reserved the right to classify British

subjects of Asistio race in the category of Europeans or Asiatics as they wish. Mr. Philippe made the first mistake

in drawing a false similarity of English and French words, for in French law a French subject does not enjoy the same rights and privileges as a French citizen. The former designates a conquer- ed people like the Annamites while the latter is a citizen having full rights in the real sense of the word.

Doubting the accuracy of his interpretationa, Mr. Philippe recently went to dr. Fresouls, legal adviser to the French Goverment, for his counsel on the question. Mr. Fresouls, who happens to be my personal lawyer, is of the opinion that a British subject and a British peraou are equal before the law and are entitled to the same rights and privileges without

3. The Under-Secretary of State,

Foreign Office,

London, 8.W.1.

any