CO129-542-1 China- traffic in arms 31-10-1932 - 9-2-1934 — Page 101

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COMMERCIAL RELATIONS AND TREATIES

DEPARTMENT,

BOARD OF TRADE,

GREAT GEORGE STREET,

RECEIVED

LONDON, S.W.1,

Telephone No.: Whitehall 5140.

28 SEP 1933

27th September, 1933.

6. O. REGY

N

Goty, bo to Cony 53.

Sir,

I am directed by the Board of Trade to enclose, for the

information of the Secretary of State, copy of a letter

dated 11th September from the Soley Armament Co. Ltd. and to

state that the 1,000 rifles in question, which were

originally purchased from War Office surplus stocks, were

exported from this country to Belgium for conversion

purposes in January, 1932, under the authority of export

licence No.143771, to the issue of which the prior approval

of the Foreign Office, Home Office and War Office had been

obtained. Before the export licence was issued, the Board

secured an undertaking from the Soley Armament Company that

the rifles would be re-imported into this country after

conversion, but having regard to the import duty that would

now be payable on the cost of the conversion operations,

it is not considered essential to enforce this requirement.

Subject to the concurrence of your Department and that of

The Under-Secretary of State,

Colonial Office,

Downing Street,

S.W.1.