CO129-491 - Public Offices - 1925 — Page 123

FOREIGN OFFICE, S.W.1.

November

119

1025,

Sir,

I have to inform you that you have been appointed

British member of the International Commission which is to

assemble at Shanghai on the 16th December next to enquire

into the question of extraterritoriality in China in accord-

ance with the terms of the Resolution adopted at the Wash-

ington Conference on the 10th December 1921, which will be

found in the Annex to this despatch.

2. There is a marked oonsensus of opinion among all

who have studied the subject that, although China has mado

progress in the task of codifying her laws, training a judi-

ciary and setting up a system of courts to administer the

new laws, conditions still are not such as to justify aban-

donment of the vital principle that a British subject in

China must be tried in the Courts and by the law of his own

country. It is very unlikely that the Commission, after

studying the question on the spot, will come to any different

conclusion. His Majesty's Government, while holding to this

vital principle, nevertheless anticipate that a time will

come when the existing objections to the abolition of extra-

territoriality will be greatly lessened if not altogether

removed. It is their earnest hope that the Commission will

find it practicable to agree upon recommending proposals, which, if adopted by China, would materially assist her to

attain this goal by gradual stages.

3.

For this purpose the Commission will no doubt investi- gate the constitution and the working of the Chinese courts of justice and the Chinese judicial system, enumerate and

analyse...

Ilonour

Sir Skinner Turner.