Ong Mins. on
52702/28
Attach to 52842/28
Extracts from Rept. on Tour in China
13
14
Both Mr. Brenan and Sir M.Lampson pay
a warm tribute to Sir C. Clementi and I think 14 and
17 might be extracted and brought to the notice of
yes
"
"G.G.
the Secretary of State.
(17 has been printed,
Para.59
Dealt with
on
32914/128
A.
without enclosure, see print at end).
Two further questions are raised by 17.
Paragraphs 37 and 54 and marked portion of para-
graph 42 should be extracted for the loan to
Canton file and may come in very useful in discussing with Foreign Office the proposals for an unofficial
loan which contrary to expectation are likely to
mature before long.
The remaining question is the desirability
of an interchange of visits between the Legation
and Hong Kong, particularly the Chinese Secretariats. It will be observed that Sir M. Lampson considers
this desirable "if Bri tish policy in China is to
be properly coordinated." This admission is one of
great importance and constitutes a sufficient
answer to those who say that British policy in
China is the concern not of Hong Kong but of the
Foreign Office and the Legation alone.
The Foreign Office, I gather, while
welcoming the suggesion have not taken any action
on it as yet since they have been waiting for
specific proposals from Sir M.Lampson. Hong Kong
might possibly have difficulty owing to shortage of
staff but otherwise the suggestion must be peculiarly attractive to them since it tacitly
recognises their right to have a say in policy. I think that we ought to take advantage of Sir C. Clementi's presence to discuss it with him and
thus