Copy.
No.9.
My Lord,
H. B. M. Consulate,
Saigon, 24th March, 1920.
403
I have the honour to report that one Mr. John Le Page, a Canadian British subject holding a passport as such issued to him at Ottawa, arrived here from Hongkong on January 26th last in search of work. He was unable to find employment and, being absolutely without funds, applied to this Consulate for assistance. Since his continued sojourn at Saigon was in every way undesirable, both for his own sake and for the good name of the local British Colony, I decided to send him back to Hongkong, as being the port from which he had arrived and as being the first point on the return journey to Canada. With the help of money raised by private subscriptions, I therefore procured for him a passage to Hongkong on board a British steamer, to the master of which I handed a letter (copy enclosed) addressed to the Colonial Authorities, in which I explained the circumstances of the case.
I have now received from the Colonial Secretary
at Hongkong a communication (copy also enclosed), referring to Mr. Le Page and requesting that in future destitute persons may not be sent to that port.
This communication places me in a position of no
little embarrassment.
I would explain that it is only at rare intervals that vessels leave Saigon on the direct journey either to the
Direct connection with either of United Kingdom or to Canada. those destinatione is, almost invariably, only to be had after transhipment at Singapore or Hongkong, as the case may be. Indeed it is no exaggeration to say that Saigon depends almost entirely upon those two British ports for communication with the outside world. It follows, therefore, that, in endeavouring to effect the repatriation of distressed British Subjects, whether coming
The Right Honourable
Earl Curzon of Kedleston, K.G.,
&c.,
&C..