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would endeavour to arrange that the Eastern Extension
Telegraph should assume control of this office under a
working arrangement with the Canton authorities. I did not
propose that the Cable Company should operate temporarily
pending an agreement between the North and South, although
of course I should welcome such agreement. The Chinese
Telegraph Office in tiong Kong is very remote from the
sphere of influence of the Peking Government and it is
very close to Canton; therefore, in my opinion, under existing circumstances, if Peking and canton cannot agree
in the nomination of a Commercial Agent to take charge of
the office, the views of the Canton Government rather than
of the Peking Government should prevail.
7.
1 put the whole matter before my Executive
Council on the 12th April and it was then agreed that no
further action should be taken for the present, the more so
as we anticipate that Marshal Li will now very shortly
return to Canton. Accordingly 1 telegraphed to Sir Miles
Lampson yesterday, informing him that the canton authorities
proposed to nominate Mr. Kong Siu-lui, a Hong Kong-born
Chinese merchant, well known to Mr. Liang Shih-yi, as
Commercial Agent in charge of the chinese Telegraph Office
in Hong Kong, but that the chinese version of the title
had not yet been agreed upon; that, unless Canton
accepted my translation of the title, I should not
remove Mr. Lau Cheuk-pan from office; that I do not
intend to press Canton to make an appointment; and that,
if the question remains dormant, it is possible that
the improvements now contemplated in wireless communication
between Hong Kong and Canton will make the existence of
the almost moribund land-line valueless, and so provide
an effectual and satisfactory solution of this long-
drawn-out controversy.