The Colting
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The Governor reports that none of the German Mission Societies wish to carry on their former work in Hong Kong except the Basel Mission; he mentions there would be great opposition to this Mission being allowed to continue its work on the
same lines as before and he deprecates such permission being given, His proposal is that a
special body of Trustees should be set up to administer the funds required to enable the Society' s representative to carry on "certain obligations" of the Mission in Hong Kong. This could no doubt
be done under Section 5(5) of the Ordinance.
The Basel Society has, I find, been allowed
to resume work in certain parts of the West
African dependencies in the case of Topland,
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on certain specified conditions(as to constitution of the management which were imposed on the Society at the suggestion of the local Government. No
application, however, has been received from the
Society for "recognition" to enable them to resume their work in Hong Kong. If the Secretary of State is prepared to accept Sir E. Stubbs' re- commendations as to the Society not being allowed to
resume its work in the Colony, the suggestion in Mr. Shann's letter (paragraph 4, last enclosure) had better not be adopted; it would take us no
further and it would be best to let Mr. Oldham,
and Mr. Shann (through the Governor), know that it
would be no use for the Society to apply. I submit
a draft to Mr. 01 dham, who will be back in London
at the end of the week.
It would, of course, have been more helpful
if the Governor had stated definitely what the objections are, especially in view of his well-
/known