CO129-521-13 Chinese Customs- proposed agreement with Hong Kong 27-8-1930 - 16-10-1930 — Page 232

To F.0. No. 191 April 13, 1921

(ibid).

Draft agreement.

231

22.

tax the salt of the poor and asked what was the

good of "playing at treaty making in Peking when

"what we have to deal with is trade in Kwangtung".

The Legation then proceeded to put up a very incensed

report to the F.0. pointing out how they had been let

down at the last moment to the detriment of all

negotiations with the Chinese Government by an

unreasonable change of front over an agreement which

Hongkong had itself been negotiating for years, and

that Hongkong's view of these matters was altogether

too parochial. As for taxation of salt, the reor-

ganisation of the salt Gabelle and taxation involving

the whole of China were part and parcel of H.M.Q

policy. The agreement should be treated as an

not a integral part of our policy in China, and local problem at the mercy of the whims of succes-

sive Governors.

18.

#

However, the C.0. merely queried the Legation's

reading of history in saying that it was Hongkong that had wanted the agreement originally (see pre- oeding section of this memo.) and backed the Governor. So the agreement was shelved, till Sir C. Clementi

began to reflect upon it once more.

19. A copy of the darris agreement, as negotiated and ready for signature in 1918, forms an enclosure to this memo. I cannot lay my hands on a copy of it

as actually drawn up by Mr. Harris with the Hongkong Government in 1911, but I take it the draft was much

the same as this one.

/20.