'A Treasury minute dated Decemer 7 has been issued as a White Paper, This minute relates to the Grown leases in British Concessions in China, with particular reference to Tientsin, Hankow, Kiukiang, Chinkiang, Amoy, anid Canton. of the British Government. Consequently, it is the duty of the] Government to provide, as far as enable, for @ continuance of the position contempt! y the original arrangement, the sole ob-Ject of which was the convenience of British traders and residents in China.
Tt states that _a_ Governments occupation of the position of ground-Tandlord in important town areas in foreign country long has. been Fecognized as an anomaly, and such position now is. clearly" incom-Patible: with the declared policy the British Government in China. 'Accordingly, on. December 18 las, "ai Government announced "ies Chinese' authorities, to. modify the negotiation wil
constitution of the municipal administrations of these Concessions, This involved abandonment by the British Government of Its. position as a ground-landlord in these Con-
The British Government consider-holders, which woul £400,000, but the position in Chit prevents proceeding with the scheme sale of the Government's revereionary interests without a guar-fante of tenure, which would be wholly inconsistent with the policy Surrender to Lot-Hotders The only method by which this could be done, consistently with termination of the position of the Government as a ground-landlord, to surrender the remainder of the Teases held by the Government to the existing lot-holders.
"The minute, coneludes:—"Tho Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs has informed the Lords of the Treasury that, as a condition of]
factory arrangement of each ease with the Chinese authorities! {for the reconstruction of the above mentioned Concessions, it is_essen-I to terminate ment's position as a ground-land-_ ord there, and, in view of the impracticability of selling the reversion ary interests, their Lordships} approve the proposal made by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs that the interests mentioned should be assigned to the existing lessees without payment, but subject to the condition that the "lessees bear the expenses arising from such assignments."—Reuter
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.