Confidential
Extract from a/despatch from the Governor of
Hong Kong to the Secretary of State for the
Colonies dated 31 st May, 1929.
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36
I venture to avail myself of this
opportunity to make one further recommendation.
It
In
my opinion, British interests in China suffer severely from the fact that the principal authorities concerned, namely, His Majesty's Minister at Peking, the Naval Commander-in-Chief, the General Officer, China Command,
and the Governor of Hong Kong, seldom have an
opportunity of conferring together in person. often happens that the Naval Commander-in-Chief, the General Officer China Command, whose headquarters are
now in Hong Kong, and the Governor of Hong Kong can confer together, especially during the winter months, when most of His Majesty's ships are as a rule in Hong Kong; but it very seldom happens that these three
I have now are joined by His Majesty's Minister.
been Governor of Hong Kong since the 1st November,
1925. It has been a period of continuous storm and
stress and during it British interests in China have
But through- been repeatedly and seriously attacked.
out this period it has not once happened that all the
four British authorities I have named were able to
meet in conference. I consider that it would be of
great benefit to His Majesty's service in the Far East
if these four officers could, as a matter of routine,
meet