BRITISH TRADE COMMISSION IN HONG KONG 7th Floor, Shell House, Queen's Road, Central, Hong Kong Mail Address: P.O. Box No. 528, Hong Kong Cable Address: "Uktrade Hongkong"
Telephone- 230176
26th November, 1968
reference: dr reference:
A
PERSONAL
Дега билии
On at least two occasions since the amalgamation of the Foreign and Commonwealth Offices there have been
embarrassing slips due to communications for senior officers being addressed to me for onward transmission.
2. In the first case I received a secret and personal letter for the Financial Secretary, Sir John Cowperthwaite, which came in a covering envelope addressed to the British Trade Commission with a compliments slip inside
In the latest case, I asking my office to forward it on. have now received by unclassified bag an envelope addressed to the British High Commission, Hong Kong, under the reference PS/68/2202. Inside is another envelope which was unsealed and which is addressed to M.D.I. Gass, Esq., who This open is, of course, Acting Governor at the moment. envelope contains a despatch from the Secretary of State marked "Personal - In Confidence" to Mr. Gass appointing him as High Commissioner for the Western Pacific.
3.
While, of course, there is no security risk involved in sending such correspondence through me, you will appreciate that it is liable to give rise to embarrassment in Hong Kong Government circles if they feel that the British Trade Commissioner is sitting on their lines of communication with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office. It may of course be that some new policy has been hammered out in the office, but, if not, you might care to have a word in the appropriate places.
4. I am copying this letter to Jock Duncan in Personnel Department (Operations).
Jaures ever elliken Mamy
(M.P.V. Hannam)
Principal Trade Commissioner
W. S. Carter, Esq., C.V.O., Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Hong Kong Department,
Curtis Green Building,
Victoria Embankment,
London, S.W.1.
RECEIVED IN ARCHIVES No.31
11 DEC 1968
нак
11/16/508)
Every effort is made to ensure that the information given herein is accurate, but no legal responsibility is accepted for any errors or omis- sions in that information and no responsibility is accepted in regard to the standing of any firms, companies, or fudividuayo mae