§ 31. Lieut.-Commander Agnewasked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs whether he has yet received any information from His Majesty's Ambassador in China showing that the Chinese preventive services are allowed freedom to operate effectively in the execution of their duty to stop the entrance of smuggled goods into China?
§ Viscount CranborneThe only limitation of which I am aware is that, as was explained in the answer which my right hon. Friend gave on this subject on 20th May of last year, the Japanese military authorities have made it a condition that Customs vessels operating in the coastal waters of the demilitarised zone set up by the Tangku truce of 1933 may not carry arms.
§ Lieut.-Commander AgnewAre we to understand that there has been no change in the situation?
§ Viscount CranborneMy information is that from a report recently received there are grounds for hoping that there is an improvement.