CO129-540-13 Proposal by Chinese Government to establish vice-consulate in Hong Kong 6-6-1932 - 30-12-1932 — Page 27

COPY.

H. M. Chargé d'Affaires at Nanking Printed Letter Despatch No. 271 T. S. of October 24th 1932 to H. M. Legation, Peking, transmitting÷-

CHINESE INVOICE OFFICER AT HONGKONG.

I called on Mr. Wang Tsu-lien this morning and

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said that the Hongkong Government were prepared to accept the

wording of the proposed exchange of notes except for the title

of the officer. I told him of Dr. Lo's conversation with Mr.

Ingram on October 13th when the former had expressed his will-

ingness to meet us over the question of the title.

Mr. Wang said Dr. Lo had spoken to him, and in view of Hongkong's objection to the term "Commercial Officer" he

was prepared to accept the term "Chinese Consular Invoice

Officer". To this I took exception, saying the use of the

word "Consular" was tendencious and, in the circumstances,

incorrect as the invoices were not going to be certified by a

Consul. Mr. Wang said we were making quite unnecessary diffi-

culties, but Dr. Lo did not want to let a small point like that

stand in the way of agreement, so he would accept the title

"Chinese Invoice Officer". I asked what the Chinese equiva-

lent of this would be, but he was not prepared with an answer

beyond saying that it was an awkward term to translate concise-

ly. I suggested

but he said that was al-

ready eight characters, and suggested it was unnecessary to

a suitable term agree beforehand on the exact Chinese term;

would no doubt suggest itself in due course. I left it at

that, as I do not anticipate that any difficulty will arise

over this, and the Notes will be exchanged in English only.

A. D. B. 24/10

E. M. B.I. 24/10

NANKING.

24th October 1932.