BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN.
Registry
No: F 3527/1/10.
Lar
50
August, 1940.
Despatched
M.
Draft.
Sir A.Clark-Kerr, Shanghai.
Telegram.
No:
(12) You
Your telegram No. 648 (of July 30th:
Kowloon Customs).
The British authorities are not responsible
for the internal administration of the Kowloon
office of the Chinese Customs, whose functions
are, I understand, to supervise Customs work in
ad jacent Chinese territory. In so far as the
latter is under Japanese occupation, the demand
that the Customs Administration shall conform
to the procedure in other occupied areas is
comprehensible.
2.
We should object to the appointment of
a Japanese Commissioner but the requirements
mentioned in your telegram do not infringe
British sovereignty in the Colony and would
seem to be a matter for arrangement between the
Japanese authorities and the Inspector-General.
3. I appreciate that it is more difficult
for the latter to plead force majeure in this
case to his superiors at Chungking, but if there
is a real danger of having a separate Customs
service established in the occupied areas, I
think that the Chinese Government would be well
advised to allow him to compromise. It is not
la matter in which we can usefully intervene at
the present time. You may at your discretion
comminicate this view privately to Sir F.Maze.
O.L
NOTHING
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