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desired by this Government that the Superintendent
should be a business man or an expert in telegraphy,
and not a soldier or a professional politician.
5.
This Government does not regard a change
in the holder of the post of Luperintendent of the
Chinese Telegraph Office in Hong long as a petty
affair. On the contrary, we consider the matter
to be one of considerable importance, requiring very
careful handling on each occasion. It is altogether
anomalous that a telegraph office in a British colony
should be managed by a Chinese Superintendent appointed by the Chinese Government, and we look
forward to the time, as we hope not far distant, when
this Chinese Telograph Office in liong long may be
closed down altogether. I notice that a Reuter press message from Nanking, dated the 14th of November, 1929, reads as follows:- The inistry of
Communications is floating ten million dollars in communication bonds for re-organizing the Chinese
Telegraph, cable and telephone system. Tart of the
bonds will be used for taking over the Great
Northern and Great Eastern cable interesis in China
in 1930. The inistry is making arrangements with
Shanghai bankers as reg. rds the bonus". information is correct, then it would seem that the raison d'être for tolerating the existence of a Chinese Telegraph office in Hong Mong may disappear next year; for, if British cable interests in Chine are taken over by the Chinese Government, there can be no reason why a Chinese Telegraph Office should e continue to be maintained in a british colony. should be glad to know as soon as possible what are
If this
I
the