CO129-492 - Governor Sir Clementi - 1925 [12] - 1926 [1-5] — Page 552

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hardly worth while to smuggle into China any articles except

opium, drugs, arms and ammunitim. But should a high tariff

be imposed, I shall be surprised if anggling does not become

very prevalent up and down the coast of China; and I very much

fear that the smugglers are likely to use the free port of

Hong Kong as their base, with the result that frequent remonstrances may be addressed to this Government by the authorities of Kuang-tung and other provinces, and that

relations betrem ourselves and our neighbours may suffer in consequence. Moreover, my experience of Chinese officials is such that I cannot but expect that many of them, high and low, will find it profitable to connive at smuggling and that, in spite of every effort by the preventive staff of the Chinese Maritime Customs, this smuggling will largely neutralize any very appreciable increase in the revenue accruing to the Chinese Government. I do not, of course, put these statements forward as an argument against permitting an increase in the Chinese Customs tariff, but only as a warning that too much hope should not be put in the tariff negotiations as likely to benefit either British trade or the Chinese Government. Anyway a less opportune time for experimentation with likin and with the Chinese Customs' tariff could hardly

have been found.

EB

I have the honour to be,

Sir,

Your most obedient humble servant,

Governor, &c.