CO129-604-5 Immigration- control over entry from China 4-3-1948 - 6-1-1949 — Page 15

(2/48) [16] Wt. 19126/754 50m, 7/48 C.N.Ld. 748

54064/48

15

C. O.

Wallace

5/1 f.s.

Mr.

Mr.

Mr.

Mr.

Mr.

DRAFT.

P.D. COATES, ESQ.,

Permt. U.S. of S.

Parly. U.S. S.

Minister of State

Secretary of State

Your Reference F. 16710/154/10

FOREIGN OFFICE.

(15)

FURTHER ACTION.

(4)

(7)

(14)

Dear Coates

Thank you for sending me a copy

of Lamb's letter 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.

Y.S