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HONG KONG GOVERNMENT (Part I).
(Destructive).
The Hong Kong Government's first and probably
greatest failing is that generally speaking it is entirely
out of sympathy with modern China, its outlook and the goal,
which it is determined to reach. Another failing, which is due to the fact of the local service being a watertight
compartment, but is none the less disastrous to British
interests, is the parochial outlook of the Government. correct this and to deal properly with future problems it is most necessary, that appointments from outside should be
of men of broad outlook and character able to overcome local
traditions and prejudices.
To
It is not because of the official majority in Council, which we must have, that conditions in Hong Kong
are as bad as they are but rather because the personnel
of the Government are so profoundly soaked in Colonial Office tradition, so strongly Conservative, that it prevents thom
fro moving with the times unless absolutely forced to do so.
For many years the Eurasian in Hong Kong, for some
unaccountable reason, has been much more proviant in locel
Government affairs than the Chinese themselves. The as 4
problem the Government are now seriously faced with. people have aot only become very rich, but have also to a considerable extent managed to ingratiate themeres with
the Chinese, so that it will be a difficult task for the
1