CO129-521-12 Chinese Customs- proposed agreement with Hong Kong 2-4-1930 - 16-6-1930 — Page 169

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portion of paragraph 7 of the Report relating to

fraudulent entry as from the high seas, and to the

letter from the Board of Trade which forms an enclosure

to this despatch.

(5) British Patrol Vessol.

The possibility of providing a British Petrol

Vessel to assist in the enforcement of the local law is

engaging the active consideration of his Lajesty's

Government and I hope shortly to be in a position to

address you further in regard to this subject.

(6) United States Patrol Vessels.

It

In approaching this question the British

officials were fully cognizant of the terms of the

confidential despatch which you addressed on the 17th

of June to his Lajesty's Ambassador at Washington.

was not, however, found possible to press for the

acceptance of all the conditions for which you stipulated

in the eighth paragraph of your despatch under referance,

regard being had not only to the repeated and specific

assurances given at the Conference by the American

officials that the most definite instructions would be

given to the vessels in question to avoid any action

calculated to give rise to offence, but also to the

views expressed by the Lords Commissioners of the

Admiralty in the letter, of which a copy is enclosed in

this despatch. I have no reason to suppose that the

compromi se upon which agreement was finally reached will

not prove workable in practice and satisfactory both to

your own Government and to the United States Revenue

Authorities. Should, however, any incident arise,

likely to occasion friction or misunderstanding, you

should