CO129-573-6 Issue of passports to Chinese nationals in Hong Kong 22-6-1938 - 23-12-1938 — Page 21

No. 500.

23x

Copy to Fo

OH

AIR MAIL.

Sir,

1 21

GOVERNMENT HOUSE,

HONG KONG.

22nd June, 1938.

I have the honour to address you on the

subject of the work in connection with the control and issue of passports and visas in this Colony.

2.

In Lord Knutsford's circular despatch

dated the 23rd of September, 1891, it was pointed out that Colonial Governors had the power to grant passports to British born subjects in addition to persons naturalized in the Colonies administered by them. Work in connection with all branches of passport procedure has naturally increased rapidly, and in 1926 it was arranged that an Assistant Colonial Secretary should sign passports on behalf of the Colonial Secretary "By His Excellency's Command". The work of interviewing applicants and issuing the passports has been done hitherto in the offices of the Colonial Secretariat but I have decided that it should be transferred to a Special Branch of the Police Department with a view both to efficiency and to the convenience of the public. The Police already control the registration of aliens and the inspection of passports on board ship is when necessary carried out by the Police. Applications for visas by nationals of certain countries or by stateless persons have hitherto also had to be

referred

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

MALCOLM MACDONALD, M.P.,

&C.,

&C.,

&c.