Mr. Rockhill to Mr. Hay.
Peking, China, August 12, 1901.
Sir: In my telegram of the 8th instant and in my dispatch No. 152 of the 9th I referred to the refusal of the British Government to accept the international commission for the conversion of the tariff, which the conference considered had been finally accepted on June 11 last.
To-day, at a meeting of the diplomatic corps, the Final Protocol was [Page 300] again discussed and an agreement reached on every part of it, except the above-mentioned provision. The British minister stated that he would not refuse to sign the protocol if it was embodied in it, but in case he did sign he would have to note on the Protocol the reserve of his Government as to this clause.
It being held by the conference that such a course was not desirable, and in the hope of closing definitely the final protocol the representatives of the powers, while expressing their disapproval of reopening a question considered settled by a unanimous vote as far back as the 11th of last June, and on condition that no other question should be raised but the Protocol finally accepted, agreed to the British formula, which reads as follows:
All duties on imports levied ad valorem shall be converted into specific duties, so far as it is possible to do so, and with the least delay.
The paragraph read originally:
An international commission shall be appointed for that purpose. The powers having a treaty with China and also the Chinese Government can be represented on it by one or more delegates, but they can only have one vote.
The chief argument of the British minister against this commission was that it would be unwieldly; as votes would have to be unanimous, it would take a very long time to complete its work, the number of articles on the tariff being over 1,250.
It is the intention of the British Government to ask the chief commercial powers in China, Japan, Germany, and the United States to join with it in the work of conversion of the tariff conjointly with the Chinese maritime customs.
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The free list was also agreed upon after a short discussion, and with that the Final Protocol was definitely accepted. A copy of it will be sent at once to the Chinese plenipotentiaries and they will be asked when they can sign it.
I have the honor, etc.,