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possible, the coastal trade of Chins, especially ss both in the United Kingdom and the Colonies Chinese shipping is in preetice permitted to engage in these trades.
It seems likely that if the metter were dealt with on these line time would be saved in negotiating the treaty as a whole. But in any case it is the opinion of the Foreign office that the line just proposed makes a better taco tisal # prosca to the Chinese Government than the immediate offer of treaty restrictions. If, nevertheless, the inclusion of an additional article in the treaty became unavoidable His kajesty's Government would be willing to recept one on the general lines of that proposed in the message from the atste
epartment «nclosed in xr. inent's letter of at November, but they would wish in the British draft to bring the wording into line with the comparable provisions in other commercial treaties concluded by this country and to consult the Government of Indis further in this matter.
The Foreign Office would oint out, however, that the words "ports, places and waters of the other which are or may be open to foreign someras in the text proposed by the State Department would a pear to be inconsistent with rticle 5 of the merican draft treaty which accords the right to carry on trade throughout the Republic of Chine. It is sugges ted that the words "foreign shipping” or preferably "oversees merchent shipping* would be more suitable in this context than "foreign colaberae". The phrase "overacks merchant shipping" is
preferable because it would avoid any ground for discrimination against foreign shipping as regards the ports open to it.
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