CO129-496 - Public Offices - 1926 — Page 11

Consous to be bome in thrund on our part are

(1) that this service is conducted for the

benefit of the Brition

The British Community "at

Swaton & not

for that

of Akring

(2) that the suspension of the service and not

cractly benefit the goodwill of the CSNCO.

Becken 7/4/26

us

The FQ don't actually

actually wit as to gain the conference . but no cult they

mun it wlo

Hirnst goute dear why the

in

Puntar

Butik immunity the out pay the prightattin provisions_futhat his what it comes to ! Stess, aly perhead for cut will!

Mkg/s

46154

ha. Clutterbuck miglet represent-

C.O. at the conference.

G.G. 10.3.26

}

No.

In any further communication

on this subject, please quote

and address

F 744/1/10

not to any person by name,

int to

**The Under-Secretary of State,"

Foreign Office,

London, S.W.1.

C. 5363

FOREIGN OFFICE.

S.1.1.-

4th March, 1926.

Sir,

6

MAR 1926

10

I am directed by Secretary Sir Austen Chamberlain to

state, for the consideration of Mr. Secretary Amery, that

his attention has lately been drawn to the position arising for

certain British companies engaged in the shipping trade with

South Chinese ports, as a result of the present boycott directed

against British goods.

2.

The firm principally concerned would appear to be the

Chinese Steam Navigation Company (Kessrs. Butterfield and Swire)

who have hitherto maintained a service between Hongkong and

Swatow and £moy. Owing to the anti-British boycott which was

extended from Canton to Swatow in connection with the distar-

bances at the former port last year, this service had to be

suspended, and, as will be seen from the enclosed copy of a

letter addressed by the Shanghai office of the firm to the

British Chamber of Commerce, the Japanese vessels which in the

interval have been calling at Swatow in order to furnish the

British residents there with provisions and general sup lies

have been likewise compelled to suspend their service, owing to

a threat on the part of the local population to apply the boy-

cott to them.

3. The problem of providing for the small British communit at Swatow, numbering some fifty persons, has thus arisen in an acute form. It would appear from the enclosed letter that it

was at the request of the Hongkong Government that Messrs. Butterfield and Swire undertook temporarily last December to

rencw.....

The Under Secretary of State,

Colonial Office.