CO129-540-13 Proposal by Chinese Government to establish vice-consulate in Hong Kong 6-6-1932 - 30-12-1932 — Page 24

CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案 All

but I was now instructed by your telegram No. 215 of the 27th September that I should take action in the sense of the Hong Kong Government's wishes, as the best chance of persuading the Chinese Government to empower the Commissioner of Customs to issue invoices seemed to be in representations at Nanking rather than through the Chinese Legation in London. I must admit that I was not at all sanguine that the Chinese Government could be brought to accept the Commissioner of Customs as invoice officer. A number of excuses had been put forward from time to time-that such an arrangement would be contrary to the whole spirit of the Invoice Regulations, that the commissioner was already over- whelmed with work and would be unable to undertake the additional duties, and so on; but the reasons given were patently insufficient to account for the stubborn resistance of the Chinese authorities, a resistance which was equally manifest wherever the question was discussed, whether in London, in Ñanking, or in Shanghai, and I was led to the conclusion that the true reason was, perhaps, jealousy of the Customs Administration on the part of the Waichiaopu and the desire to establish a source of revenue that would be less directly than the Customs under the control of the Ministry of Finance.

7. I had arranged to proceed to Nanking on the 4th October. Shortly after my arrival there I met Mr. Wang Tsu-lien, of the International Bureau of the Waichiaopu, who is the official directly in charge of this question, and discussed the matter at length. I found that he was prepared to agree to almost any other arrangement, but on this point he was adamant; the Customs must be kept out of it. Feeling that it was idle to continue to press for the appointment of the Commissioner of Customs as invoice officer, I then put forward the Hong Kong Government's alternative proposals, which I suggested should be embodied in an exchange of notes. Mr. Wang took exception to some of the phraseology, as damaging to Chinese prestige, and also objected to putting the terms in writing, quoting the precedent of the understanding regarding the Telegraph Superintendent. Our answer to the second point was that we had had bitter experience of the difficulties which arose from not having that understanding in writing, and had no desire to repeat the mistake.

8. These difficulties were eventually overcome, but the main dispute centred round the title by which the officer was to be known. Mr. Wang stood out for "commercial officer," which designation he gave me to understand had already been agreed upon for the invoice officer at Bangkok. I could not get a satis- factory explanation of the objections to the term Chinese Invoice Officer," but as time was short and I could see no very good reason for not accepting the term commercial officer," hedged about as it was by the provisions of the exchange of notes, I sought your approval of this designation when I telegraphed the draft of the exchange of notes on the 12th October. But meantime I gave Dr. Wang to believe that the term would be entirely unacceptable to the Hong Kong Govern- ment, and on the following day I had an interview with the Minister for Foreign Affairs himself. I told Dr. Lo I was sure the Hong Kong Government would reject the proposed title, and I thought it was a pity to wreck this agreement over such a minor point. I found him in an accommodating mood, and he said that he thought he could meet us and that the matter could be satisfactorily arranged. 9. At this stage I went to Shanghai for a week, and while I was there I received your telegram No. 87, Tour Series, authorising me to sign the proposed exchange of notes. In view, however, of my last interview with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, I decided that I ought to endeavour to meet the Hong Kong Government's wishes as far as possible with regard to the title of the officer, and, after one further interview with Mr. Wang, I secured his acceptance of the term originally proposed, namely, "Chinese Invoice Officer," which term was embodied in the notes which the Minister for Foreign Affairs and I formally exchanged to-day. I should, perhaps, mention that Mr. Wang's last compromise suggestion for the title of the officer was Chinese Consular Invoice Officer," which he maintained complied with our requirement that the officer's title should accurately describe his duties, but this I firmly rejected as being intended merely to embarrass us by the introduction of the word "consular." It may be as well to place this fact on record in case the Chinese Invoice Officer" should endeavour at a later date to introduce the word consular into his official designation.

៩

10. When exchanging these documents this morning with Dr. Lo Wen-kan I expressed to his Excellency the hope that he would regard their signature as

evidence of the friendly sentiments and goodwill of the Hong Kong Government as well as of His Majesty's Government, both of which were anxious whenever possible to meet the wishes of the Chinese Government. In reply, Dr. Lo expressed his appreciation of the action of the two Governments.

11. In bringing these negotiations to a conclusion. I would like to express my indebtedness to the unremitting zeal of Mr. Holman and Mr. Blackburn, acting Chinese counsellor at this Legation, upon whom fell the brunt of all the detailed work connected with them.

I have, &c.

Sir,

Enclosure 1 in No. 1.

Dr. Lo Wen-kan to Mr. Ingram.

E. M. B. INGRAM.

Nanking, October 25, 1932. WITH reference to your note of to-day's date, regarding the appointment of an officer for the certification of invoices in Hong Kong, I confirm your understanding that the arrangement agreed upon is as follows:-

1. The Chinese Government will establish a special office in Hong Kong to issue and certify the consular invoices. The office will be in charge of an officer to be called Chinese Invoice Officer."

2. The officer's activities will be confined to the certification of consular

invoices for China.

3. The officer will be appointed by the Chinese Government after

consultation with the Hong Kong Government.

4. The Chinese Government will withdraw the officer if he becomes persona non grata to the Hong Kong Government and another one will be appointed.

I avail, &c.

LO WEN-KAN.

I certify that the above is a true and exact copy of the original note signed by his Excellency Dr. Lo Wen-kan at Nanking on the 25th October, 1932.

(For Acting Consul)

K. W. TRIBE.

Sir,

Enclosure 2 in No. 1.

Mr. Ingram to Dr. Lo Wen-kan.

Nanking, October 25, 1932. WITH reference to the conversations which have taken place regarding the appointment of an officer of the Chinese Government for the certification of consular invoices in Hong Kong, I shall be grateful if your Excellency will confirm my understanding that the arrangement we have agreed upon is as follows:-

1. The Chinese Government will establish a special office in Hong Kong to issue and certify the consular invoices. The office will be in charge of an officer to be called Chinese Invoice Officer.