CO129-556-13 Traffic in arms to China 6-1-1936 - 13-1-1937 — Page 109

from the Chinese Central Government.

In the letter of

4th September, the Foreign Office suggested that the

Board would doubtless desire to re-examine the policy of

His Majesty's Government in the light of the new

l.e.

development, i. e. that France is issuing licences to

export aims to China without first ascertaining from the

Chinese Kinister in Frames that the Chinese Central

Government have no objection to the import of the arms

into China. The Board had already suggested in their

letter J.R.T.978/35 of the 13th August that United Kingdom

arse manufacturers should no longer be unfairly handicapped

by adhering to the present arrangements, and that certain

lines of action auggested in the Board's letter

(Q.R. T. 1577/34) of the 18th June, 1934, should be taken.

In view of the general situation in this country with

regard to arme, particularly in connection with the

enquiries of the Royal Commission on Aras and the italo-

Abyssinian dispute, consideration of this matter was

deferred. The Board have, however, had brought to their

notice recently other cases in which British manufactur ers

have been unable to undertake orders from the Chinese

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