43
FOREIGN OFFICE,
S.W. 1.
11th January, 1921.
My dear Risley,
I am much obliged for your letter of the 5th, which
has enabled me at last to clear up the situation at this end.
Our letter of the 25th September was written because
we wanted to make sure that the proposed amendment to the
HongKong Companies Ordinance would not upset the arrangements
which we had made with the British American Tobacco Company
with the object of enabling them to comply with the new system.
What we were waiting for from Peking was not any further observ-
ations on the remarks of the Governor of Hongkong, but a report
on this point. The despatch from Peking arrived last month
but was not sent to you; a copy of it is now being sent across.
The result of it is that we need not distress ourselves about
the British American Tobacco Company and can now consider the
question on its merits. Peking's reply to the HongKong
observations was sent to you in our letter of September 18th
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