COPY.
No. 54 (10066/26).
Jes to 1.0..Canton
& Hongkong.
sår,
BRITISH LEGATION, PEKING.
December 6th, 1926.
43
I have received your despatches Mos.99 and 101
of November 20th and 25th respectively and I approve your
attitude as therein reported.
2.
As you are aware the question of these new
Cantonese taxes and of our precise attitude thereto 18
still under the consideration of Eis kajesty's Government,
but in the meawhile I think we must asume that our
present acquiescence in the payment of these taxes by
British subjects presupposes that such payment will free
the goods in question from all further taxation at least
at the port of importation. You should therefore follow
this general line in any verbal representation you may
have occasion to mae to the Commissioner of Foreiga
Affairs on the subject.
3.
With regard to the communication from the
Commissioner of Foreign Affairs enclosed in your despatch
No.101, you will be aware that His Majesty's Goverment
do not at present desire to resist payment of these
taxes by British subjects, but at the same time we cannot
of course permit the statement you refer to to pass
unchallenged. You should therefore, at your discretion,
reply by informal letter to the Commissioner of Foreign
Affairs that you are not aware of any cases of British
merchants refusing to pay the tax, but that you cannot,
C.C.A. Kirke Esq., C.B.R.,
His Majesty's Consul,
Swatow.
until/
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