CO129-521-13 Chinese Customs- proposed agreement with Hong Kong 27-8-1930 - 16-10-1930 — Page 259

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SECTION 4.

49.

Discussion of the Individual clauses of the various draft agreements put forward.

50.

Attached to this memorandum are:-

(1) Sir Robert Hart's proposals of 1898

for the functioning of the Customs at Hongkong.

(2) The draft agreement originally drawn up

by Mr. A.H. Harris with Hongkong, as agreed to

by the Chinese Government in 1918, when the

Hongkong Government backed out and refused to

sign.

(3) The draft agreement resulting from the

discussion with the Inspector General of

Customs in July 1929 - with slight amendments

introduced by the Executive Council - which

Mr. Maze submitted to the Chinese Government,

who objected to Article 5.

(4) The draft agreement as subsequently

amended by Hongkong, which it is now proposed

to submit informally to Mr. Mase.

51.

A perusal of these drafts shows

the various stages through which the question

has progressed. Comparing the drafts clause

by clause, the differences are quite clear-cut,

but as the negotiations have taken place

entirely in Hongkong, it is impossible from

this distance to assess the value in practice

of the concessions offered on either side; this

could only be done by an investigator on the

spot.

52.

Sir R. Hart's proposals were turned

down almost in extenso by the commercial

interests at Hongkong, as leading only to a /perpetuation