14
Excellency granted to the press, It will be noticed
that he is quoted as saying that "though considerable
damage was to be seen yet there were many bombed places
shut off from view". Fresumably Sir Geoffry Forthoote
meant by this that "many places" were shut off from view
by other houses, as the Chinese authorities have never,
in my experience, refused access to any bombed areas
to responsible persons.
3.
The principal comment I have to make on the
visit is that both His Excellency and myself were impressed
by the great interest in his visit taken by the Chinese
populace, as evidenced by the large crowda lining the
streets whenever he drove through the city, and which
gathered whenever the word circulated that he was visiting
any particular locality. I drove through the streets
with ir fughe Enatchbull-Hugessen on the occasion of
his formal visit and with Your Excellency on the occasion
of your completely informal visit. I was surprised
the marked difference in public interest towards the
Governor of Hong Kong and Sir Hughe. I am pretty aure
that the manifestation was spontaneous (i.e. neither
"arranged" nor "with ulterior motive" nor "due to the
present undeclared warfare'), and it was a convincing
proof to me of the community of interest between Canton
and Hong Kong, at least from the Canton point of view.
It will be interesting to consider how it can be best
put to account. It has on several ocassions been
remarked to me by high local officials that there is no
possibility of labour, and similar internal, troubles at
Hong Kong