!
CONFIDENTIAL,
Draght Commission
.
7 Brain men
Electric light the semi-skilled labourers. I thrahms to involer the whole of
have had to call
Amy
q
It is at this time
to Keep réfrigerating plants going
the electric light- the Nary
had begun
Fra
in the came
جو
the
the docks & ustices.
other bades hat
ffice have taken her handed in -
that the war
and left the command away
the for
man
the forces
2
in the hands ga
who is
Young R.R.). Even if the place
the verge of madness. (Golmal
notai andy excentric
had he profoundly peaceful
I might
& normal
the extent of letting
capable of any folly
wild adventuror in charge of & all the more so since the
the military forces in Canton is
#hase. how consulted I consider that's
said our
his mea
even &
withh which the troops
form Kwanghing most of the cook (Jr Wu Ting Tang having remorod
Finition for look.
would have.
pretty
The whack Even apart.
ha paid, the soldiers are certain to make some kind of bottery)
from any matibay
cosideration it
is not tous me
that I shamed
have a bufortly impossible person
the rest upon me
as an Excentina
26526
31 MAY 201 GOVERNMENT HOUSE.
HONGKONG. 14th April, 1920.
378
My Lord,
I have the honour to invite Your Lordship's
attention to the fact that, by virtue of the Dormant Commission
which was enclosed in Mr. Lyttelton's Miscellaneous Despatch of
the 16th October, 1903, the administration of the Government of
Hongkong, in the event of the simultaneous absence or incapacity
of the Governor and the Colonial Secretary falls to the Senior
Military Officer for the time being in command of the Regular
Forces in the Colony.
2.
Mr. Severn went on leave on the 11th March, 1920,
and from that date, therefore, in the event of any accident
befalling me the administration would have devolved upon Major-
General F. Ventris, C.B. General Ventris is an officer for
whom I have a high personal regard, but I cannot shut my eyes
to the fact that he is very old for his age (63) and that he
cannot be regarded as now possessing either marked intelligence or strength of character. He has, however, considerable
experience as a member of the Executive Council and a period of administration by him, though not likely to be satisfactory, would not be obviously unreasonable. I should not, therefore, have thought it necessary to address Tour Lordship on the subject if circumstances had remained unaltered.
3.
Recent events have, however, made it essential to
raise the question. Major-General Ventris has suddenly been sent to Singapore to conduct some enquiry into military matters
I
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
VISCOUNT MILNER, G.C.B..
&C..
hc.
&C..