CO129-529-5 China- extraterritoriality 23-11-1931 - 31-12-1931 — Page 101

amicable relations, and I have done what I can to assist

the new District Court in its work and to enhance its

prestige. As, for political reasons, it wishes to avoid

direct correspondence with courts of other nationality, I have been willing to act as a channel of communication between it and His Majesty's Supreme Court. When, for

instance, the District Court wishes to summon a British subject as a witness, it addresses a request to me, and I

pass the request to the Supreme Court for the service of

the summons.

4.

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The Chinese Authorities are, however, now forcing the pace, and an incident has just arisen which throws

considerable light on their intentions. In the course of litigation in the District Court between members of the

Sheng Kung Pao family, it was desired to restrain certain British and American real estate companies from dealing with property of which they are the registered owners. Instead of informing the interested parties that it had no jurisdiction over the British and American firms, the Court issued

injunction orders which it handed to the Judicial Police for service on the firms in question.

5. The matter was brought to the notice of the American Consul-General and myself by the Secretary General of the Council, who asked us what action the Council should take. After consulting my American colleague and deciding on a common line of action, I replied with a request that the Council would instruct its officers not to assist in the service of the orders in question, and at the same time I wrote to the President of the Court reminding him that British subjects and companies were subject only to the jurisdiction of the British

Courts