A
Sir:
نشهر
23886
¡REC
REG 22 MAY 16
Felixstowe,
20th May 1916.
212
love
your Tet
Letto
I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of
o 22374/1916 requesting me to make arrangemente
to return to Hong Kong. On receipt of your letter I wrote for an interview with an official of the Eastern "epartment of
the Colonial office, which was granted, and on the 18th inst:
I saw Mr J.R.W.Robinson. I understand, from the result of
my interview, that in the case of my not returning to
Hong Kong the Secretary of State would have no alternative
but to terminate my appointment.
55749
In my letter of 29th March last, I pointed out
that I could never be happy or contented if I returned to
my civil work, and asked for relief from it. I humbly
submit that it may be taken into consideration that I have
served the Crown for 12 years in the Colonial Audit Department
in London, Nigeria and Hong Kong, and prior to going into
the Colonial Audit Department I also volunteered for active
service in the Boer War and served in South Africa with my
present Regiment.
While I do not in any way wish to criticise the
policy of the Government, is it rather not) hard to be
rather
summarily dismissed merely because my conscience dictates I
should serve the Crown during the War as a soldier instead
of civil capacity?
I have the honour to be
sir.
Your obedient Servant,
The Under Secretary of State
The Colonial Office,
S.V.
Ballis