CONFIDENTIAL
Downing Street,
5th March, 1926.
83
My dear Tyrrell
Very many thanks for your letter of
February 12th in connection with the proposed appoint-
ment of Mr.R.F.Johaston to be Colonial Secretary at
Hong Kong. In view of your confirming what we had
already been told as regards the possibility of his appointment leading to criticism the Secretary of State naturally decided to cancel his previous decision
I am writing now to say that on the very
strong recommendation of Clementi, who, as you know,has
Just come from Ceylon the Secretary of State has
authorised me to offer the appointment to Mr.W.T.
Southorn, the Principal Collector of Customs in Ceylon,
but before actually doing so I would like to know whethe
from the Foreign Office point of view you have any
observations to offer? As I wasnot absolutely
certain about Southorn myself I got leave from the
w.G.TYRKELL,G.C.M.G.,K....,C.B.
Secretary