Colony, Possession, Protectorate or Mandated Territory by His Britannic Majesty's representative at Sofia. Nevertheless, goods the produce or manufacture of India or of any of His Britannic Majesty's self-governing Dominions, Colonies, Possessions and Protectorates, or of any territory in respect of which a mandate on behalf of the League of Nations has been accepted by His Britannic Majesty, will enjoy in Bulgaria complete and unconditional most-favoured-nation treatment so long as India or such self-governing Dominion, Colony, Possession, Protectorate or Mandated Territory accords to goods the produce or manufacture of Bulgaria treatment as favourable as that accorded to goods produced or manufactured in any other foreign country. 5. It is understood that nothing in this Agreement shall be held to confer any right or impose any obligation upon either party which might be in conflict with any general international convention to which the Bulgarian or His Britannic Majesty's Government is, or hereafter may be, a party. 6. Effect will be given immediately to the undertaking contained in this Note, and will continue to be so given until the conclusion of a definitive Treaty of Commerce and Navigation between the two countries, subject, however, to the right of either party at any time to give notice to the other to terminate the arrangement, which shall then remain in force until the expiration of three months from the date on which such notice is given. As regards India and the British self-governing Dominions, Colonies, Possessions, Protectorates and Mandated Territories which may have acceded to this arrangement in virtue of the provisions of paragraph, it may be terminated separately at any time on three months' notice to that effect being given either by or to His Britannic Majesty's representative at Sofia. I avail, &c. WILLIAM ERSKINE. No. 2. Sir, The Bulgarian Minister for Foreign Affairs to His Britannic Sofia, November 12, 1925. IT being the desire of our respective Governments to make provision for the commercial relations between Bulgaria and His Britannic Majesty's territories, pending the conclusion of a treaty of commerce and navigation, I have the honour to inform you that my Government is prepared to undertake on condition of reciprocity that British subjects and goods the produce or manufacture of the territories of His Britannic Majesty shall enjoy in Bulgaria treatment which, subject to the special reservations referred to in paragraph 5 of this Note, shall be at least as favourable in all respects as that accorded to the nationals of, and goods the produce or manufacture of, the most favoured foreign country. This treatment shall be accorded in all matters of commerce and navigation and as regards importation, exportation and transit, and in general in all that concerns customs duties and formalities and commercial operations, the estab3172 Wt. 1250 12/25 F.O.P. [13879] lishment of British subjects in Bulgaria, the exercise of commerce, industries and professions and the payment of taxes. 2. British vessels shall enjoy in the ports, rivers and territorial waters of Bulgaria treatment not less favourable than that accorded to Bulgarian vessels or the vessels of the most favoured foreign country, subject, however, to the right of the Bulgarian Government to reserve the coasting and internal trade to Bulgarian vessels. 3. The Bulgarian Government further undertake on condition of reciprocity to accord freedom of transit to persons, goods, vessels, carriages, wagons and mails in transit to or from the territories of His Britannic Majesty over Bulgarian territory, including territorial waters, and to treat them at least as favourably as Bulgarian persons, goods, vessels, carriages, wagons and mails respectively, or those of any other more favoured nationality, origin, importation or ownership as regards facilities, charges, restrictions and all other matters. 4. The foregoing stipulations will not be applicable to India or to any of His Britannic Majesty's self-governing Dominions, Colonies, Possessions or Protectorates, or to any territory in respect of which a mandate on behalf of the League of Nations has been accepted by His Britannic Majesty, unless notice of accesion to this arrangement shall have been given on behalf of India or any such Dominion, Colony, Possession, Protectorate or Mandated Territory by His Britannic Majesty's representative at Sofia. Nevertheless, goods the produce or manufacture of India or any of His Britannic Majesty's self-governing Dominions, Colonies, Possessions and Protectorates, or of any territory in respect of which a mandate on behalf of the League of Nations has been accepted by His Britannic Majesty, will enjoy in Bulgaria complete and unconditional most-favoured-nation treatment so long as India or such self-governing Dominion, Colony, Possession, Protectorate or Mandated Territory accords to goods the produce or manufacture of Bulgaria treatment as favourable as that accorded to goods produced or manufactured in any other foreign country. 5. It is understood that nothing in this agreement shall be held to confer any right or impose any obligation upon either party which might be in conflict with any general international convention to which the Bulgarian or His Britannic Majesty's Government is, or hereafter may be, a party. 6. Effect will be given immediately to the undertaking contained in this Note, and will continue to be so given until the conclusion of a definitive Treaty of Commerce and Navigation between the two countries, subject, however, to the right of either party at any time. to give notice to the other to terminate the arrangement, which shall then remain in force until the expiration of three months from the date on which such notice is given. As regards India and the British self-governing Dominions, Colonies, Possessions, Protectorates and Mandated Territories which may have acceded to this arrangement in virtue of the provisions of paragraph 4, it may be terminated separately at any time on three months' notice to that effect being given either by or to His Britannic Majesty's representative at Sofia. I avail, &c. CH. KALFOFF. Presented by the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to Parliament by Command of His Majesty. LONDON: PRINTED & PUBLISHED BY HIS MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE. To be purchased directly from H.M. STATIONERY OFFICE at the following addresses: Adastral House, Kingsway, London, W.C.2; 28, Abingdon Street, London, S.W.1; York Street, Manchester; 1, St. Andrew's Crescent, Cardiff; or 120, George Street, Edinburgh; or through any Bookseller. 1925 Price 2s. 6d. Net. Cmd. 2442. Suggest that reports be obtained ... ... 3 2 To Sir R. Macleay April 8 Transmits copy of No. 1. Το (Peking) 3 Sir R. Macleay... obtain reports from His Majesty's consular officers in China 12 Transmits Provisional General Factory Regulations enacted by Chinese Government, with observations thereon 4 4 5 Consul-General Barton (Shanghai) 6 Consul-General Barton July by the Municipal Council of the International Settlement at Shanghai ... ... ... ... 24 Canton. 29 32 39 40 ... 41 43 ... 67 68 71 ... Kiukiang 72 Kiungchow 73 9 Consul-General Pratt April 30 Shanghai Municipal Council have (Shanghai) 106 107 10 Appreciation of action taken. To report further developments 112 Report of Shanghai Child Labour Commission 113 Papers respecting Labour Conditions in China. Sir, No. 1. Ministry of Labour to Foreign Office. Montagu House, Whitehall, March 28, 1924. I AM directed by the Minister of Labour to state that he has under consideration, in connection with recent proceedings in Parliament, the position of China with regard to the draft convention and recommendations of the International Labour Organisation. As the Secretary of State is aware, a question was addressed to him on the 17th March last as to the steps which the British Government proposed to take in exterritorial districts in China under British control to support the request of the Chinese Government that the International Labour Conventions should be applied to territories under non-Chinese sovereignty. No such request has been received, as Mr. Secretary Ramsay MacDonald indicated in his reply. In the course of a discussion in the House of Commons the same day, on the Supply (second allotted day) Report, reference was made by the Parliamentary Secretary of this Department to the need for securing an improvement of labour conditions in China and to the responsibility of foreign investors for the backward conditions there prevailing. From information in the possession of the Department, collected from the publications of the International Labour Office and other sources, it appears that labour conditions in both the old and new forms of industry in China are much below western standards. For example, women and children are extensively employed in industrial processes for which they are not physically ñtted; hours of labour are long; workers are forced to travel long distances in search of employment, and while the standard of living in China is low, wages -especially those of unskilled workers-do not always reach that standard. Moreover, it appears that in consequence of the cheapness of labour in China, industrial establishments financed or controlled. by foreign investors are coming into existence in China. Although the Chinese Government have been represented at the sessions of the International Labour Conference, Mr. Shaw is not aware whether any steps have been taken in China to give effect to the draft conventions and recommendations of the organisation, or generally to carry out its policy of improving conditions of labour. On the other hand, it is clear that if Chinese labour legislation were modelled on the provisions of the draft conventions and recommendations, and some attempt were made to secure general enforcement 3M 6 25 F.O.P. [13214] 2921 Wt. B 2 |