No.1924 (110/5 Y.)
VIA SIBERIA.
Copied to Hongkong.
Canton.
(F 526/29/10)
sir,
13412
4275730
166
72751/30
British Legation,
Peking.
24th December, 1930.
(5)
77
When my despatch Number 1587 of the 31st October
was written, the Hongkong Customs Agreement appeared to
be on the brink of signature. Since that date, as reported
in my telegrams Numbers 235 and 250 Tour Series of November
18th and December 3rd respectively from Nanking, and in
the Governor of Hongkong's telegram Number 166 to Colonial
Office of December 6th, the Agreement has been turned down
by the Central Executive Committee, owing to the opposition
of certain Canton representatives, as described in despatch
Number 136 of November 28th from His Majesty's Consul-
General at Canton, a copy of which was forwarded direct
to you under his despatch to the Foreign Office Number 54.
2.
The reason given to the Governor of Hongkong by
General Ch'en Ming Shu for his own opposition, and that of
the other Canton representatives to the agreement, was simply
that the collection of Customs duties in Hongkong would
adversely affect Canton trade, though he did not trouble to
explain his reasons for this opinion. The report of his
speech at the Fourth Plenary Session, advocating the
abandonment of the scheme, forwarded in Mr. Phillip's
despatch, does not tend to make these reasons any clearer;
on the other hand, it makes it more obvious that the
opposition to the Agreement was inspired by the interests of
/certain
Right Honourable
rthur Henderson, M.P.,
etc.,
etc.,
etc.,
FOREIGN OFFICE.
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