Suit
di
448
Mr. G. H. Medhurst, Head of Messrs. Dodwell
and Company, Limited, and Director of Hongkong and Whampoa Dock Company,Limited.
Mr. D. R. Law, Head of Messrs. Butterfield and
Swire.
Mr. R. Shewan, Head of Messrs. Shewan, Tomes and
Company.
Mr. J. R. H. Smith, Chief Manager, Hongkong and
Shanghai Banking Corporation.
Mr. W. Dickson, Manager of Chartered Bank of
India, Australia and China.
Mr. E. A. Hewett, Superintendent, Peninsular and
Oriental Steam Navigation Company ..
and had asked them whether they would support legislation
to make compulsory on British subjects of British race in
Hongkong Military training on the lines of the training of
members of the Hongkong Volunteer Corps. All except Mr.
J. R. M. Smith had expressed themselves as in warm sympathy
with the proposal and had stated that they would be pre-
-pared to favourably consider proposals to give effect to
it provided the scheme were a reasonable one which would
not unduly handicap British Merchants and Traders in their
competition with Foreign Merchants and Traders. Mr. J. R.
M. Smith had informed me that he would consider the matter
and inform me of his views later. Sir F. D. Lugard after-
-Wards saw him but failed to remove his evident objection
to the proposal.
3.
Subsequently Sir F. D. Lugard
decided to appoint a representative Committee to consider
the
Page 450Page 451
#