CO129-552-6 Traffic of arms to China 2-1-1935 - 27-12-1935 — Page 226

COLX.

(F 3492/60/10)

No. 515.

13141) OT AND

IMMM

FOREIGN

222

I S...1.

18th June, 1935,

Sir,

I have considered Your Excellency's despatch

67 No. 462 of the 26th April last, regarding the export of

arms to China vis Hong Kong. I note that the United States

Government are inclined to regard with favour the suggestion

that they should forward to the Governor of Hong Kong

copies of licences issued for the export of arms consigned

either to the colony or through it to China, but that they

desire to be informed whether such & procedure would £180

be enforced in the case of arms of other origin.

2.

In the first place, the suggested procedure has

been in force in the case of exports of arms from the

United Kingdom for more than a year; consequently the

loophole which is Lajesty's Government and the United

States Government are equally concerned to also has, in

fact, already been closed to Eritish exporters. Zi8

Majesty's Government are now willing to intimate to those

foreign Governments who have instituted an export licence

system that after a certain date the Governor of Hong Kong

will be inctructed to require, as evidence that arms

consigned to Chine via Hong Kong are entitled to "in trungit"

status, the production of copies of the export licences

issued; they would also suggest to those Governments that

copies of the licences should be forwarded direct by the

issing/

dis Excellency

The Right Honourable

Sir Ronald Lindsay, G.U.N.G.,

K.C.B.,

etc.,

etc., Washington.

etc..