CO129-521-13 Chinese Customs- proposed agreement with Hong Kong 27-8-1930 - 16-10-1930 — Page 65

(F 4699/37/10).

FOREIGN

OFFICE

3764

S.W.1.

26th September, 1930.

(19)

Dear Robinson,

In reply to your letter of the 22nd August,

it would be difficult for the Foreign Office to concur

in any reply to the Governor of Hongkong expressing

approval, sans phrase, of his attitude over the propo sed

Hongkong-China Customs Agreement. This is a question

in regard to which acute differences of opinion exist

and the time has not yet arrived when they can be

resolved by a Cabinet decision. The Foreign Office

view briefly is that, taking into consideration (1)

the insecurity of our tenure of Kowloon and (2) the

certainty (as we understand) that Hongkong would be

ruined and become untenable if separated from Kowloon,

the right policy to adopt, as the only means of

ultimately saving both Hongkong and Kowloon, is to

encourage the sentiment of community of interests

between the Colony and China. Further considerations

- political and commercial

-

which seemed to make it

S. Robinson, Esq.

desirable