}
ONFIDENTIAL.
Hongkong.
My Lord,
23338
TREES Governhept House 07
513
Hongkong, 31st. May, 1907.
I received authoritative informa-
-tion this morning of the re-appointment of the notorious
Shan Chun to be Viceroy of the Two Kwang in the room of
Chou Fu who is apparently to be placed on the retired list.
2.
During his former tenure of the
Viceroyalty at Canton Sham Chun proved so antagonistic to
England that His Majesty's Consul-General found it almost
impossible to settle any business with him.
Many important matters are pending
at canton affecting British Trade and not a few questions
touching the interests of this Colony; and other questions
almost daily arise, so close is the Commercial connection
of this Colony with the neighbouring Provinces.
3.
It will be disastrous to British
interests in South China and to those of this Colony if
Sham Chin who, protégé of the Empress Dowager and a re-
-actionary
RIGHT HONOURABLE
THE EARL OF ELGIN, K.G.,
800 . . .
&c
&C. *