I
Dew mo Adlerg
posat
87 Ashlen Down Raced Horfield, Bristol, B37 9J-
16 July 1983
Because
my father entered into a series of contracts to work first in Japan, then in China, between 1908 and his retirement in 1935, it happened that I was reared, schooled and had my first job in Shanghai, until the war put
an end to that rather privileged existence. I was much heartened therefore to read nom actice in the Guardian (15 Inly) and to know that someone in Parlament, if not in bovernment, was
виду butting forward ideas of stark realism about the future of Hongkong. If we get it wrong in our dealings with, Peking
over this problem there are so many ways in which the consequences will be sad and probably tragic
I want to make a
as to how it might
It
suggestion
¡ be tackled, based on my experience of Shanghai and
q
the Chinese.
that un
Shanghai
1
on
concessions
aw
was misine among foragin on the mainland in having, by a freak of history. International Settlement, rather than being the private proserve of some pertionlar Treaty Power. I believe
theory the ultimate power in the settlement lang with the Court of Consuls of all foreign nation's in treaty with Chria. In my time there I cannot recall that they ever got into the papers and in practice the plance was
the Shanghai Municipal Council which had some such make-up as 5 British, 2 American, 2 Japanese and 2 other corallers of assorted nationalitics all these elected by voters who qualified on a property I franchise, plus 5 Chinese councillors who were not elected but apponited, probably by the foreign
I
Mun
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