CO129-521-13 Chinese Customs- proposed agreement with Hong Kong 27-8-1930 - 16-10-1930 — Page 111

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23.

Hongkong fears renewal of blockade when Manking Government threatens to usurp tariff autonomy în 1927.

Hongkong despatch No. 70 of August 13, 1927 (p. 84 in 410 1927).

Hongkong despatch No. 71 of August 13, 1927 (p. 1 in 5M 1927).

20.

then the Nanking Government were

threatening to usurp tariff autonomy in

1927, Sir C. Clementi feared that this

would mean the break-up of the Customs

administration, and the sinification of

the service (involving the British o om-

missioner at Hongkong), and he began to

oast around for means of dealing with

this situation, which he seemed to think

(though his despatches on this point were

not very consistent) was aggravated by

the fact that H.M.G. would not recognise

regional authorities in matters of this

nature, or allow Hongkong to settle

direot with Canton. The threatened

increase of the import duties brought

to life the bogey of a revived blockade,

for it seemed certain that smuggling

would increase to an unprecedented ex-

tent and require very stern measures of

repression. Sir C. Clementi made no new

suggestions, however, as to how his

Government proposed to deal with the

difficulty, beyond saying that, if the

Chinese behaved themselves in the matter

of the Customs, he would be prepared to

give formal recognition to the Chinese

Customs office in Hongkong. Colonel

Hayley-Bell, then commissioner at Lowloon,

speaking of the increase of smuggling,

laid stress of the activities of Japanese

motor-junks along the Chinese coast.

/21.