In any
further communication
on this subject, please quote
No. F 9163/7455/10.
and address-
not to any person by name
but to---
The Under-Secretary of State,"
Foreign Office,
London, S.W.1.
Confidential.
Dup
FOREIGN OFFICE.
S.W.1.
12th November, 1937.
19
26
Sir,
RECEIVED
15 NOV 1937
C...REGY
I am directed by Mr. Secretary Eden to acknowledge
the receipt of your letter No. 53851/37 of the 6th instant
on the subject of road communication between Hong Kong and
Canton and to request you to inform Mr. Secretary Ormsby-
Gore that he certainly considers it desirable in principle,
subject to there being no strong military objection, to
proceed with the early completion of the connexion in
question.
2.
Mr. Eden would deprecate using the scheme as a
ineans of pressure to secure freer passage for shipping to
and from Canton. The road scheme seems likely in itself
to be of benefit to tre Colony and a failure to treat it
on its own merits might well lead to ill-feeling on the
part of the Chinese authorities which in general is
undesirable and which might in this instance make them less
inclined to listen to representations on the other question.
The Chinese authorities are no doubt influenced purely by
military considerations in the measures they have taken on the
river and will not be averse to modifying them if convinced
that they are not indispensable. The latest reports indeed
seem to show that the position is more favourable than it was.
I am,
Sir,
Your obedient Servant,
Aw. Orde
The Under-Secretary of State
Colonial Office.