CO129-496 - Public Offices - 1926 — Page 468

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[This Document is the Property of His Britannlo Majesty's Government, “And”

returned to the Foreign Office if not required for officialsoșe.

CULINA

21247

16 NOV 1926

Decypher. Acting British Consul-General, (Canton

via Hong Kong) 14th November 1926.

D. 10.30 &.m. 15th November, 1926.

15th November, 1926.

R.

9.00 a.m.

20964

No. 56.

Your telegram to Peking No. 323.

I have consulted confidentially with

commissioner of customs and the chairman of the

Chamber of Commerce and have come to the conclusion

that proposal in paragraph 5 is impracticable so

far as British goods alone are concerned because

they are imported by merchants of all nationalities

and in mixed consignments with other goods.

Provided that Canton Government and Inspector-

General agreed proposal would be feasible as

regards British merchants for whom arrangements

could be made to pay taxes to customs and get

special tax receipt.

I however sounded Minister for Foreign Affaira

privately yesterday in the sense of your paragraph

5 but he states that Government would not now agree

to customs collection although they would still

welcome customs co-operation as originally asked

i.e, room in customs building and customs documents

for calculation of tax (see my despatch No. 93).

This/