CO129-604-5 Immigration- control over entry from China 4-3-1948 - 6-1-1949 — Page 14

54064/48.

F.16710/154/10.

Colonial Office,

The Church House,

Great Smith Street,

S.W.1.

6th January, 1949.

14

1

Drum Coatés

Thank you for sending me a copy of Lamb's lotter to you No. S/O 663 (110/1079/48) of the 11th November, 1948, about the alleged right of Chinese to enter or settle in Hong Kong.

There is one small point in it on

which you may think it worth while to send Lamb a line. It appears from the third paragraph of his letter that he has not quite appreciated that Hong Kong Ordinance No. 32 of 1940 the provisions of which give complete control over entry into the Colony, makes no exception for the Chinese (see Appendix to the Memorandum by our Legal Advisers, copies of which were sent to Scott with my letter of the 12th October, 1948). Chinese are as liable in law under this Ordinance as any other foreigner. The only difference is one of practice. As pointed out in my letter of the 6th December to you this Ordinance has in fact been recently enforced against Chinese arriving from all countries other than China and it is there ready to be enforced at any moment if desired, against Chinese coming from China.

P.D. COATES, ESQ.

E

YS

I. J. B. LAJA

(W.I.J. Wallace.)