24
PARAPHRASE TELEGRAM from the Governor of Hong Kong to the
Secretary of State for the Colonies.
(Dated 19th December, 1927.
Received Colonial Office 11.44.1
19th December, 1927.)
Your confidential despatch of 18th October.
a
I had conference at Peking on 15th November with
Chiang Tsun Wei Director General of Chinese telegraph
administration.
He proposed that I should recognise Chen
Ching Wen as manager of the Chinese telegraph officer in
Hong Kong in lieu of the present manager who is charged
with misappropriating funds. With the concurrence of
Sir M. Lampson I replied that provided that Chen was
acceptable to Canton Authorities he would be acceptable
to Colonial Government, but that if the Canton authorities
could not see their way to accepting him Hong Kong would
feel compelled to close down Chinese telegraph office in
the Colony and work with Canton by wireless pendingua
satisfactory settlement as to future control of land line
to Canton and of its terminus at Hong Kong.
the
Chen has new arrived here and at interview which I
gave him to-day stated that it is not possible for him
under existing conditions to visit Canton and that he is
not aware who is the present manager of telegraphs at
Great confusion of course exists there and
Canton.
the future is completely uncertain.
There has been a great degeneration of conditions
since 15th November when Lichaisum was still ruler of
Canton. In the circumstances I submit that it is the
highest time to end the anomaly whereby rival authorities
of