[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[4185]
No. 1.
8193
[February 4.] 6 14
SECTION 1.
(Confidential.) Sir,
Admiralty to Foreign Office-(Received February 4.)
Admiralty, February 3, 1911. WITH reference to your letter of the 16th December, 1910, relative to the Whangpoo conservancy works and the question of appointing a successor to M. de Rijke as engineer-in-chief, I am commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to acquaint you, for the information of the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, that they concur in his opinion-(1) That it is undesirable to press for the nomination of a British subject for this post; and (2) That the appointment of any engineer who cannot produce satisfactory evidence of his qualifications should be strongly opposed. Their Lordships also agree that there is no reason why the engineer's contract should necessarily be for one year only, and consider that it is advisable that there should be power to terminate the appointment at reasonable notice.
The proposal that the other Governments interested should be informed of the instructions issued to His Majesty's Minister at Peking and requested to issue similar instructions to their own representatives is also concurred in.
[1909 d-1]
I am, &c.
C. I. THOMAS.
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