CO129-543-16 China- protection for Anglo-Chinese 13-2-1933 - 13-3-1934 — Page 81

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opportunity of looking into the matter and studying the

past correspondence, and I came to the conclusion that the

first step to be taken was to press for a reply to our 1930

proposals; if it was then found possible to induce the

Chinese Government to accept the principle of exemption

for transient visitors from the operation of the

Nationality Law, the details of an agreement on that basis

could no doubt be elaborated without great difficulty.

5. I arrived in Nanking on February 1st and raised this

question with the Minister for Foreign Affairs on the same

dey. I explained the points at issue and referred to

the proposals which I had.put before Dr.C.T.Wang three

years ago in February 1930. I added that in spite of

repeated reminders it had been found impossible at that

time to interest the Wai Chiao Pu in the question and I

urged as strongly as I could the desirability of now

reverting to it and reaching a final settlement with

the least possible delay.

72770/30

6. The Minister for Foreign Affairs was evidently not

acquainted with the recent history of the controversy and

diverged into a dissertation about the Chinese Nationality

Law and the principle of jus sanguinis on which it was

based. But, as a jurist, and concurrently Minister of

Justice, Dr.Lo was at least well up in the purely

legal aspect of the case, and it was clear from the way

he spoke that there could be no question of his agreeing

to anything which would run counter to the principles of

the Law. Mr. Hsu Mo, the Vice-Minister, who was also

present at the interview, on the other hand, had the

whole