ENCLOSURE 3
Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce
Sir,
477
Hong Kong 24th June 1901.
In reply to your letter (No. 1400) of the 13th instant, I beg leave to acknowledge receipt.
I am directed to express the Chamber's regret at finding from its tone that His Excellency took some exception to the attitude adopted by the Committee in their letter of the 4th inst.
I am instructed to ask you to convey to His Excellency that their action was not dictated by any spirit of carping criticism, but arose out of a sincere desire to strengthen the hands of the Government and assist in combating the present serious visitation of plague.
The Chamber do not wish me to enter into controversy, but they wish to put themselves right on one point stated in your letter, that the Chamber had accepted without investigation certain statements made in the local Press and described by you as reckless.
In reply to this statement, I beg to point out that the statements made in the local Press, references to which appeared in my letter, were taken from the public utterances and reports of Government officials and of experts employed by the Colonial Office to inquire into the matter.
Colonial Secretary.