Confidential.
C.O. 20795/515
Government House, Hongkong, April 19th 1902.
...
Sir,
With reference to my open despatch W.154/20751 of the 18th inst., in which I submitted for your favourable consideration the name of Mr. C.M.H. Messer in connection with the vacant post of Postmaster General, I have the honour to submit a few further remarks with reference to that subject.
2. As I stated in my open despatch, Mr. Messer is a zealous and hard-working officer, and ceteris paribus his claims might be considered as stronger than those of Mr. Lewis.
The fact that he is, however, a native of the West Indies and not of pure English blood, must militate strongly against the thoroughly successful working of a Department in which pure Englishmen are placed under his orders.
So long as Mr. Messer is ...