C.O.
345
11125
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4 APR 13!
Sir Francis May to Sir John Jordan.
€
GOVERNMENT HOUSE,
HONGKONG.
February 8th, 1913.
Your Excellency:-
I have the honour to enquire what your views
are regarding the continuance of the practice whereby
the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce addresses His
Britannic Majesty's Minister at Peking direct on
questions affecting British interests and the Doyen of
the Diplomatic Body on matters of International inter-
est. y own view is that the practice is undesirable
and that, following the principle of Colonial Regula-
tion No. 214, such communications should be transmitted
through the Governor of the Colony.
2. I may mention that recently one of the
Chinese Un-official Members of the Legislative Council
mentioned to me in conversation that if a new Chinese
Chamber of Commerce were formed in Hongkong he saw no
reason why, following the example of the Hongkong Gen-
eral
is Britannic Majesty's Minister,
Peking.