Hon. Colonial Secretary,
58
Enclosure
2.
I interviewed Mr. Wan Ho in the presence of Mr. Brewin and Interpreter Wong this morning. He admitted that he was the Manager of a Commercial Undertaking under the Chinese Telegraph Administration and that in this Colony he held no official rank.
Asked to explain why he had entered into official correspondence with the Viceroy on matters that should have formed the subject of official communication between the Viceroy and this Government through the Consul-General at Canton, he said that he was a friend of Chow Fu the Viceroy and had been asked by him to write to him on the matters referred to.
I pointed out that the communications were official and not private correspondence and warned him that he was permitted to have an office in the Colony and that his Company were permitted to maintain their Telegraph line over Crown Land merely by the courtesy of this Government out of consideration for the public convenience.
I instanced similar indulgence extended to the Imperial Maritime Customs and reminded him that this Government expected his attitude to be as correct as was that of the Commissioner of Imperial Maritime Customs.
I intimated that in view of the number of years he had lived here without giving cause for complaint I would not deal severely with his recent conduct. But I warned him that if he relapsed into interference in the concerns of this Government I should be under the painful necessity of forbidding his longer residence in the Colony.
He promised to interfere no more and withdrew.
30th May, 1907.
(Sd.) F. H. May.
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