320
C
5.
On the 26th. ultimo the Honourable Mr. Wei Yuk,
Member of Legislative Council, called on me and said that the
Governor-General and the Commissioner of Police (r. Ch'an King-
wa) were coming to Hongkong and asked if I would see them. I said
that if, as I understood, they were coming incognito I would have
no objection to receiving them on the understanding that the visit
was to be quite informal and private and that no political subjects
would be discussed.
On the 8th. instant the Governor-General
accompanied by lár. Ch'an King-wa, Commissioner of Police; Mr. Liao
Chung-hai, Comissioner of the Treasury Department, and lir. S. F.
Chien, Commissioner of Home Affairs, called et Government House.
They were introduced by Mr. Wei Yuk. The Colonial Secretary and my Private Secretary were present and during the interview which
lasted three-quarters of an hour light refreshments were served. I
cannot say that I was impressed by the appearance of my visitors.
They laboured of course under the disadvantage of appearing in
somewhat shoddy European dress instead of the ample folds of silk
which hid the physical deficiencies of many a Lanchu Official. The
Governor-General is a slight man about 5.6 in height, of very poor physique and apparently about 35 years of age. He did not give the impression of strength of character or intellect. The
Treasurer is a diminutive person apparently about 30 years of age. He made a worse impression upon me than did even his chief. The Chief of Police is a man of good physique, for a Chinese Official, but of a common and somewhat cruel type of countenance. The Home Secretary is a man between 30 and 35, as far as I could judge, of rather a better type than the other three. He speaks English well and acted as Interpreter during the interview.
The conversation was confined entirely to general topics. I asked the Governor-General among other questions
whether he had ever driven in a motor car, of which there are several in Hongtong now. He said he had not but that he intended before long to introduce both tramways and motor cars into Canton.
That he said was one along the many improvements he hoped to make.