Referring to Anglo-Italian relations, Lord Halifax said that mischievous suggestions had been made in certain quarters that the Anglo-Italian Agreement was designed to loosen the Berlin-Rome Axis, while other quarters hinted that the real object of the Agreement was to drive a wedge between the British and French Governments, A policy based on the hope of driving a wedge between Berlin and Rome, Lord Halifax added, would be as futile as an attempt to divide London and Paris.
Referring to matters raised by Lord Elibank, which included the question of navigation on the Yangtze, and other inland waterways, the Whangpoo Conservancy Board, access to British property in Shanghai, and British interests in railways in China, Lord Halifax said that all these matters were at present under discussion between the British Government and General Kazushige Ugaki, Japanese Foreign Minister.
Pending the outcome of the discussion, which obviously touched closely "pon British rights and interests, Lord Elibank would not expect him to go into details, but he would bear in mind his request that the results should be made public at the earliest possible moment.
"Discrimination in Tsingtao Lord Halifax said that the Government was satisfied that there had been discrimination by the Japanese at Tsingtao, and on instructions Sir Robert Craigie, British Ambassador in Tokyo, had made strong representations on the matter to the Japanese Government.
"From a recent report, it appeared that Sir Robert hoped for early remedial action, if this had not already been taken, Regarding the evasion of customs duties by the Japanese, Lord Halifax said that hitherto it had only been possible to induce the Japanese to agree that regular customs duties at Japanese controlled wharves should be paid on all Japanese commercial cargoes, provided that the examiners were of Japanese nationality.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.