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REC 334
C.O. 24977
REG 26 JUL 09
Government House,
Hongkong, 12th. June, 1909.
I have the honour to acknowledge your despatch Secret of May 14th., in which Your Lordship directs me to refrain from communicating directly with His Majesty's Ambassadors at Peking or Tokyo except on matters in which it is quite clear that no question of principle is involved, a rule which Your Lordship informs me is in operation in other Crown Colonies.
2. I find on enquiry that no such rule has ever been in force here, and an examination of the correspondence of former years indicates that my predecessors freely communicated with His Majesty's Ministers on matters involving questions of principle, leaving it to the discretion of those high officials to refer the matter, should they consider it proper to do so, to the State Department which they represent.
3. I venture to submit very respectfully to Your Lordship that since this Colony has apparently formed an exception to the rule which you inform me obtains in other Crown Colonies, the reason may be sought in the great and inevitable delay which must of necessity take place, often to the serious prejudice of public interests, were the Governor of Hongkong restricted from writing directly to His Majesty's Ministers, on questions of importance, with a consequential minimum delay of over two months, before the reply to a despatch or instructions to His Majesty's Ministers based on its contents could be received in this distant part of the world.
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
THE EARL OF CREVE,
&c ...
4.
if the matter is important. Sir F. Lugard
As to the general question, I have no doubt at all. The Governor must either act on Sir F. Lugard's request, in which case it is possible that he will be adopting a course which is not in the interest...
SECRET.
Hongkong.
My Lord,
those of the policy of Hong Kong Empire are opposed to the wishes of H.M.G. or be referred home for instructions. Of the references have been made by Sir F. Lugard.
Proceed as proposed.
RES218
Sir F. Lugard does not will notare that all these matters bear directly on foreign policy that Sir F. knows more of what is going on regards China & food deal than H.M. does.
(1390), Wt, 20024---20, 8000, 11/08, A, & E, W, (8327).
1081-7, 6000. 4/09.
on HBL
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