CO129-501-5 Chinese situation- Recognition of Canton Government 22-7-1927 - 28-9-1927 — Page 44

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any case, the rendition of the concessions must in

common fairness be accompanied by an extension of the

rights of Europeans to acquire property outside the

concession areas.

7. "His Majesty's Government are prepared to accept the principle that British missionaries should no longer

claim the right to purchase land in the interior,

that Chinese converts should look to Chinese law and

not to treaties for protection, and that missionary,

educational and medical institutions will conform

to Chinese laws and regulations applying to similar

Chinese institutions"

册

We are at a loss to understand why it should be

considered necessary to impose certain disabilities on

British subjects as part of a programme for the re-

moval of "inequalities" between Great Britain and

China. We should rather have thought that stipula-

tions would be made for the removal of all restric-

tions on the acquisition of land. In the ability or inability of the purchaser to secure quiet enjoyment of his purchase might be found the vindication or otherwise of the proposals regarding the Concessions.

II

We recognize that the great bulk of our criti- cism on the programme of His Majesty's Government is destructive but this is inevitable because, as already stated, we consider that the proposals proceed too

fast

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