CO129-503-8 Treatment of Asiatic British subjects by French Authorities in Indo-China 30-12-1926 - 20-10-1927 — Page 20

30082

In any further communication on this subject, please quote

No.

T 9297/2333/378

and address---

not to any person by name,

but to-

"

'The Under-Secretary of State,” Foreign Office,

London, S.W.1.

RECEIVED

113 AUG 1927

OOL, OFFICE

16 20

FOREIGN OFFICE. S.W.1.

11th August, 1927.

Sir,

A

I am directed by Secretary Sir Austen Chamberlain to refer to your letter of the 22nd February last (30082/1927)

relative to enquiries made by the French Consul in Hong Kong

concerning the legal status of British subjects of Chinese

race.

2.

These enquiries relate for the most part to the

national status of such persons within the colony, and as no

actual difference exists in this respect between them and other

British subjects, it would seem that the enquiries made by the

French Consul might be sufficiently answered more briefly

than appears in the enclosure in your letter. Sir Austen

Chamberlain however sees no objection to the proposed replies,

but he considers that as regards Nos. 3(b), 4 and 6, they

would be clearer to the French Consul if it were explained

that a person imperially naturalised in Hong Kong possesses

all the rights and privileges derived from his status as such

throughout the Empire, except in these Dominions which have not

adopted Part II of the British Nationality and Status of Aliens

Act, 1914.]

3. With regard to the views expressed in the Home Office

letter to your department of the 28th ultimo (506271), Sir

Austen Chamberlain concurs in suggestions (1) and (ii) of

paragraph 2 of that letter but is indisposed to agree to (iii),

inasmuch as the position in China of persons of dual nationality

British and Chinese, under present conditions in that country,

The Under Secretary of State,

Colonial Office.

is/

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