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informed, and I had heard nothing from Hongkong, I paid
little attention to this paragraph, even though my Japa-
ness colleagus at once called on me to ask for particulars
in regard thereto. Much to my surprise, however, a few
days later an official communiqué to the same effect
emanating from the Colonial Secretary's Office appeared in
the English newspapers published in Hongkong, without the
slightest previous intimation that negotiations were, or.
had been, in progress, having been conveyed to me. I
therefore took advantagu of an early opportunity on May 20
privately to call Fis Excellency's attention to this state
of affairs. He apologised for what he termed an oversight
on the part of his staff, and said that negotiations were
not sufficiently advanced to lay the whole papers before
me officially.
It was not until May 30 that these reached me when
remonstrance.
I at once addressed to His Excellency a private letter of
In his reply he ex lained that my not being
present at the original interview was due to the desire of
His Excellency to have a talk with him as *man to mani”.
submit that, even under such circumstances, I should have
been
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