(F 5468/3361/10).
NO DISTRIBUTION.
34
Cypher telegram to Sir A. Clark-Kerr (Shanghai). Foreign Office 10th June, 1939. 11.15 a.m.
No. 456.
The Hongkong Government propose to introduce an ordinance
designed to facilitate the preventive work of the Chinese Customs
by prohibiting the clearance of ships for unopened porus in China.
The matter is of course covered by Article 47 of the Tientsin
treaty which gives Chinese Government the right of confiscation in
such cases. In the present circumstances Chinese authorities
are apparently unable to exercise this power and are asking for
assistance to prevent unauthorised trade.
We do not dispute validity of the Treaty, but in return for
restriction of trade with unopened ports it granted to our vessels
the right to trade at the opened ports. The Chinese Government
can no longer assure us that right in places like Canton which
have been closed by the Japanese and I am not sure that it would
be in the real interests either of China or ourselves to go out
of our way to prevent the temporary diversion of trade to places
where it can still be done. In this connexion see Consul-General
Shanghai's telegram No. 85 [of June 5th]. +
112)
Please telegraph your observations after consultation with
the Consul-General at Canton and the Trade Commissioner at Hongkong.
Repeated to Hongkong, Trade Commissioner Hongkong No. 18
and Canton No. 15.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.