ABSTRACT
Maze’s leadership of the Customs Service was tempered with pragmatism. During the succession crisis and its aftermath, he had no illusions that he was indispensable. Rather he continually sought to reaffirm the usefulness of the CMCS and its foreign inspectorate to Nationalist China. In many letters during 1930 Maze constantly drew on maritime analogies to describe how he perceived his role as Inspector General (IG) and the future for the foreign staff of the CMCS. The reviving of negotiations with Hong Kong authorities in 1930 surrounding a proposed agreement over the rights of the Customs to operate within the colony’s waters was a significant event in the early years of Maze’s administration. This chapter examines the significance of these negotiations, not just between Hong Kong and the Nationalists but also for Maze’s leadership of the Service. For Maze the negotiations would serve several purposes: to secure and strengthen his position at the helm of the CMCS; to steer the Service towards safer, calmer waters; and, in doing so, to increase the usefulness of the CMCS to the Nationalists. Maze’s involvement in these negotiations signalled a new era for the Service as he had moved away from the semi-independent stance adhered to by Aglen and instead actively pursued GMD interests. The negotiations between the Hong Kong authorities and the CMCS, on behalf of the Nationalists, however, were soon swamped by the rhetoric of self-interest from both parties and the agreement never developed beyond proposals and counter proposals. The Nationalists would gain access to the colony’s waters and, therefore, revenue that had been previously lost. For Hong Kong’s authorities, the proposed agreement caused a questioning of the colony’s legal status. The agreement would give Hong Kong the benefits of being a treaty port but would simultaneously infringe on its
autonomy from Mainland China. Clearly both parties wanted the proposals to be determined in their favour.
