CO129-540-13 Proposal by Chinese Government to establish vice-consulate in Hong Kong 6-6-1932 - 30-12-1932 — Page 87

COPY FOR REGISTRATION

PARAPIIRASE TELEGRAM from the Officer Administering the Government

of Hong Kong to the Secretary of State for the Colonies.

Dated 15th September, 1932.

88 16

RECEIVED

16 SEP 1932¿

COL

(Received, Colonial Office, 1.18 p.m., 15th September: 1932.)-

Сори

7

13 15

Secret.

Addressed to the secretary of State for the Colonies No. 193 of

September 15th Repeated to Pekin Mission Copy to Canton by bag.

Your telegram No. 116 and Chargé d'Affaires' telegram

to Foreign Office No. 656 and Foreign Office telegram to Charge

d'Affaires No. 195. Officer for the certification of Consular

Invoices.

2.

Matter discussed today in Executive Council which concurs

in following views. The reasons given for refusal to accent the

Commissioner of Customs are clearly inadequate. Regulations of

customs administration must be capable of amendment and it would

surely be simpler to increase the customs staff than to create

an entirely new Department. The Commissioner of Customs is so obviously the right person to certify invoices here that I should

be glad if his appointment could again be pressed strongly on

Chinese Government which is I suspect opposing it out of desirability

of forcing agreement of Hong Kong to a less acceptable appointment.

3. If it is found impossible to persuade Chinese Government

to agree to the appointment of Commissioner of Customs I consider

that the least objectionable of the other proposals is the

appointment of a special officer to be intitled "China Invoice

Ufficer" subject to the stipulation(s) set out in your telegram

which I should like amended however as follows: (A). Officer's

activities to be confined purely to the certification of invoices

for China.. (B). Name of officer to be approved by the Government

of Hong Kong (1 deprecate necessity for reference to His Majesty's

Government as likely to cause unnecessary delay and trouble and to

give to the appointment undue importance). (C). Chinese Government

to withdraw officer at any time should he become persona ('?'non) grata

to Hong Kong Government.