CO129-557-9 British protection of companies in China 26-3-1936 - 27-2-1937 — Page 45

C. O.

Mr.

Mr.

Mr.

Sir C. Parkinson.

Sir G. Tomlinson.

Sir C. Bottomley.

Sir J. Shuckburgh.

Permt. U.S. of S.

Parly. U.S. of S.

Secretary of State.

DRAFT.

FURTHER ACTION.

45

şeries of particulars which applicants are

often unable to provide, as for example,

the details of the birthplace of ancestors

who may have emigrated from China to

Malaya decades, or even a century

previously. None of these particulars

mayy

might be available, and it would seem

unreasonable to require them. In practice,

these rules presented insuperable difficulties

to Straits-born Chinese who, for entirely

reputable reasons, wished to sever their

legal connection with China.

The difficulty concerning the

supply of details of the original address

in China of the applicant's ancestors has

now been met by an assurance from the

Chinese Consulate-General at Shanghai that

in cases where the original address is no

longer ascertainable it will be sufficient

if the word "unknown" is entered on the

questionnaire. The other difficulty,

however, which arises out of the require-

ment that every applicant for denationalisa

tion must produce a certificate that the

applicant, inter alia, is exempted from

military service, is still unsolved.

Further, the Chinese Conscription Law,

enforced as from March, 1936, does not

permit any male person between the ages

of 18 and 45 to denationalise himself

from/Chinese nationality (see No. 10 on

55020/36 Eastern). As regards the

enforcement of the Military Service Law,

General Yang