5
As regards the Lunicipality, there
is at present no municipality.
Writer
I imagine the
means that there should be one.
?
I doubt whether in a fortress like Hong Kong
this is possible, unless the municipality
were controlled by Government.
I agree that
an effort should be made to employ more
Chinese./ I don't quite see why it is
useless to refer things to the merchants until
the Government have decided on their policy,
surely the object of consulting the merchants
is to endeavour to form a policy which will
suit them. Unfortunately the merchants at
Shanghai don't always agree with the
merchants at Hong Kong, any more than the
Minister and the Governor do. The idea
of a High Commissioner for China has occurred
to me, but owing to the great distance and
the amount of work I don't think it is
feasible.
Sir M.Lampson in the 3 years or more
he has been at Pekin has never found time
to visit Hong Kong (except to see his dying
wife). Moreover China is a world problem
with important complications in America,
Australia and Geneva; the superman to deal
with it is or ought to be at the Foreign
Office or in Downing Street.
I propose that I hand a copy of
this to the new Governor and discuss with him
on the lines of this minute, and (if he
agrees) tell Messrs Swire that a copy will
be