In any further communication on this subject, please quote
No. F 5728/4140/10
and address-
not to any person by name,
but to-
64
The Under-Secretary of State,"
Foreign Office,
London, S.W.1.
IVED
NOV 1929
-FICEI
955
FOREIGN OFFICE.
S.W.1.
23rd November, 1929.
8
30195/27 (20)
52740/28 (21)
52740/28 (22)
Aned (
Sir,
With reference to Colonial Office letter No.62882/29
of the 5th instant regarding the Chinese Telegraph Office
in Hongkong, I am directed by Mr. Secretary Henderson to
state that he considers that the Governor's proposal in the
last resort to close the office is open to the objections
urged by the late Sir John Jordan in 1911 and quoted in
paragraph 2 of Foreign Office letter No. F 7691/30/10 of
October 13th, 1927. Sir A. Chamberlain's concurrence in
such a course, intimated in Foreign Office letter No.
F 1052/76/10 of March 9th, 1928, was granted in view of the
special conditions existing at that time when a Centrai
Chinese Government was only nominally in existence.
2.
I am therefore to express the hope that Lord Passfield
will see his way to send telegraphic instructions to Sir C.
Clementi to the effect that the authority contained in Colonial
Office telegram to Hongkong of March 13th, 1928 is not of a
general nature, and that he should not close the Chinese
Telegraph Office without prior reference to His Majesty's
Government, so long as the present arrangement is in force.
An opportunity for negotiating an alteration of the latter
must present itself not later than next year.
I am,
Sir,
The Under Secretary of State,
Colonial Office.
Your obedient Servant,
CW. Vide