§ 5. Mr. McENTEEasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he can now make any further statement with regard to the smuggling in Northern 192 China to the detriment of British trade and finance?
§ 9. Mr. MOREINGasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs what reply he has received to his representations to the Japanese Government on the question of the growth of smuggling in North China; and whether he has been able to obtain an assurance from the Japanese Government that the Chinese Customs officers on sea and land will in future not be prevented from carrying out their duties without hindrance and without limitation on the arms they may carry for the purpose?
§ Mr. EDENThe situation in general remains unchanged. The reply of the Japanese Government was outlined in the answer given to my hon. Friend the Member for Bury (Mr. Chorlton) and the hon. Member for Romford (Mr. Parker) on 20th May. No specific assurance of the kind to which my hon. Friend the Member for Preston (Mr. Moreing) refers has yet been obtained, but, as a result of further representations made by His Majesty's Ambassador in Tokyo, an official of the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has been sent to investigate the situation. I trust that the outcome may be that the Customs preventive services may once again be allowed to exercise their due authority in the affected area.
§ 7. Mr. CHORLTON (for Mr. MOREING)asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he will inquire of the Japanese Government whether the increase of the Japanese garrison at Tientsin to 10,000 will be used to assist the Chinese authorities to prevent smuggling of goods into China by Japanese subjects?
§ Mr. EDENI have no information on the specific point raised by my hon. Friend, but His Majesty's Ambassador in Tokyo has reported that the Japanese Government are calling the attention of the Japanese military authorities in North China to the whole problem of smuggling.