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129, 1916
Peking, June 17th., 1911.
285
Sir,
I have the honour to transmit to you herewith copy of a despatch from His Excellency the Governor of Hongkong enclosing copies of a correspondence which has passed between Mr. Wei Han, an unattached intermediary in foreign questions of the Viceroy at Canton, and Mr. Clementi, the Acting Colonial
Secretary.
I was puzzled when this correspondence reached me to account for such an unexpected departure from recognised usage and I accordingly telegraphed to His Majesty's Consul-Gener. -al at Canton and inquired if it had taken place with his know- -ledge and consent and if he knew of any precedents for direct correspondence of this kind between the Colonial Government and
the Canton Authorities.
lar. Jamieson replied that he was absolutely ignorant of the interview and the correspondence which resulted therefrom until he read in the Chinese and foreign press that they had taken place and that an arrangement had been made. He explained that he had been placed in a position of extreme em
-barrassment in his relations with the Chinese Authorities as
also with his foreign colleagues. Equally with myself, Mr. Jamieson was unaware of any precedents for such an unusual procedure and he added that it was only in deference to the in- -junctions which I had given him to cultivate friendly relations with the Hongkong Government that he had refrained from making an official protest and had confined himself to a strong private
remonstrance.
The question of direct communication between the
Colonial Authorities of Hongkong and the Chinese Authorities on
the mainland is not a new one, but it has never, so far as my
experience