x
with China
Shipping on the Pearl River.
17.29
The initial closing of the river was made by the Chinese authorities almost immediately prior to the fall of Canton, but since the Japanese occupation of that city the restrictions have been maintained ostensibly as part of the Japanese blockade to prevent trade passing from the outside world to "Free China". There has, however, been no little amount of business carried en through this important waterway partly by Japanese ships. under Government charter which nominally are military transports and carry a military supplies. The latter on arrival at Canton, where they do not pass through the Customs, frequently prove to be "surplus to military needs" and are sold to the public in the normal course of trade. There has also been a good deal of merchandise carried between Hong Kong and Canton in "tug and lighter" services run by Chinese in agreement with the Japanese military authorities who take a rake-off on each cargo. The interest of British firms has been to meint that prevent prejudice on British rights to free trade in accordance with the terms of the Treaties if and when the river is open again to normal traffic, and the main card in their hand has been the wish of the Japanese that their Government chartered vessels should call at Hong Kong.
X.
On the 4th July 1939 an agreement was reached between the British and Japanese Consuls at Canton (usually referred to as the Blunt-Okazaki Agreement).
Its
provisions may be briefly summarised as follows:-
1. It specifically stated that any agreement reached by either side would be without prejudice to the legal or treaty position.
2. The Hong Kong Government agreed that the Japanese Government chartered vessels might visit Hong Kong from time to time, and the Japanese conversely that British passenger ships might similarly visit Canton, the visits being in a ratio of two visits by a Japanese ship to Hong Kong to one visit by a British ship to Canton. But irrespective of the number of ships either side might request facilities for, the Japanese would be entitled to an acceptance by the British authorities for four (later eight) Japanese Government chartered vessels in each direction in any period of four weeks, and the British to a similar acceptance for one (later two) in each direction in any period of two weeks.
3. Japanese Government chartered vessels calling at Hong Kong would have to give forty-eight hours notice, and might embark or disembark passengers of any nationality at Hong Kong, but could not take on board or discharge any cargo there.
4.
British vessels calling at Canton similarly had to give forty-eight hours notice, and could carry passengers of any nationality, but no merchandise or other cargo excepting goods necessary for the foreign community at Canton by previous agreement with the Japanese authorities in each case. They also agreed to take on board a Japanese pilot between Canton and Bocca Tigris, "reasonable pilotage fees being charged", and no call being made between Canton and Hong Kong.
On
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