حمه
L.9.0.
60806/29 (Part not attached
as it is required for other purposes.
31.5.29.
Forwards copy correspondence with H.Kong and Peking.
(delayed for collection of 1926 pp.)
As stated by the Foreign Office, this draft
Commercial Treaty was prepared in London by the
Board of Trade and Foreign Office, in consultation
with the other interested departments. When the draft
was agreed, it was sent out to His Majesty's Minister
at Peking in a despatch of which a copy is enclosed
in this letter) and by the next mail a copy of this
despatch and the draft Treaty was sent to Hong Kong in
a despatch of which I annex a copy. In this despatch
the Governor was asked to examine the draft and
telegraph whether he thought that a Treaty on the
lines proposed, could be applied to Hong Kong and if
not, what modifications he would wish to suggest.
The Foreign Office did not, in any of the
correspondence on the matter, or, so far as I am
aware, in the verbal discussions, make any mention of
the exceptionally confidential nature of the draft and
no mention of this was made in our despatch to
Hong Kong which was however marked "Confidential".
The Foreign Office had a copy of this despatch and
did not think it necessary to comment on the lack
of emphasis on the confidentiality of the draft. They
assumed that on general principles, Sir C. Clementi
would understand that it was to be treated as
confidential and it was not in fact contemplated
here that he would disclose it to any except official
advisers.
The question is, therefore, whether, in the
absence