CO129-514-7 Alleged discrimination against U.S. interests in Hong Kong 17-1-1929 - 7-12-1929 — Page 17

In any further communication

on this subject, please quote

No. A 7322/100/45.

and address-

not to any person by name,

but to-

“་

The Under-Secretary of State,"

Foreign Office,

London, S.W.1.

Sir,

NOV

1017

FOREIGN OFFICE,

S.W.1.

11th November, 1929.

Cown

52835)28.

11 d 16.

7

I am directed by Mr. Secretary Henderson to invite reference to your letter No. 62769/29 of April 23rd last

2.

and previous correspondence regarding the alleged discrimination.

of the Hongkong authorities against the importation of

commercial motors from the United States, and to transmit to

you, herewith, copy of a further semi-official letter from the

First Secretary to the United States Embassy on the subject.

Mr. Belin makes it abundantly clear that the United

States Consul-General at Hongkong has satisfied himself that,

as matters stand at present, no market exists in the Colony for

American motor-buses, inasmuch as the operating companies fully appreciate that it would be useless to acquire any of these

vehicles owing to the refusal of the police to license any but British motor-buses for the public use in Hongkong./

3. While Mr. Henderson sympathises with the desire of

the Hongkong authorities to assist the export of commercial

motors from Great Britain, he doubts whether discrimination of

the nature complained of by the United States Government can be

easily defended; and he shares the views expressed by the

Board of Trade in their letters to the Colonial Office

Nos. C.R.T. 1308/28 of September 5th and November 8th, 1928,

in which it was suggested, inter alia, that while Hongkong has

traditionally been a free port, it might be possible to safe-

guard the local market for British motor manufacturers by

imposing a tariff upon the importation of foreign automobiles.

4.

The Under-Secretary of State,

Colonial Office.