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In the attached telegram recommending the appointment of Mr. D.J. Sloss to be a Member of the Executive Council at Hong Kong, Sir Geoffry Northcote refers to the possibility of a sudden breakdown of his own health. When he had to come away from Hong Kong last summer, Sir G. Northcote left Mr. N.L. Smith, the Colonial Secretary, as 0.A.G. (19th May). A few weeks later, however (24th June) the Naval C.-in-C. China and the G.0.C. Hong Kong urged the need to supersede Mr. Smith by the appointment of a military Acting Governor. They said that Mr. Smith lacked decision and drive, and things were muddling along. Accordingly Major/ Norton was appointed from India.
General
Sir G. Northcote told us before he returned to Hong Kong that he expected Mr. N.L. Smith might wish to retire after the Governor's resumption of the administration. Sir G. Northcote has been back in Hong Kong for some two months now, but we have no further news from him as to Mr. N.L.Smith's future. There is, however, in the two telegrams attached a suggested lack of full confidence in Mr. Smith as 0.A.G.,should the Governor himself become suddenly incapacitated, and this is based on other grounds than those on which the Naval U.-in-C. and the G.0.C. relied in May of last year,-sc: Mr. Sloss would have most valuable steadying influence on interim Governorship...... his knowledge of affairs in China is greatly superior to that of my official advisers”.. Mr. N.L. Smith will be 55 in lay next year. He has had excellent reports throughout his career in Hong Kong, and I can only think that his capacity has begun to fail under the strain of war conditions in Hong Kong. His knowledge of the people and language of Southern China could, I have little doubt, be put still to good purpose in the Far East if he were to vacate his present appointment, but the Governor's hints make one feel that it is not safe to leave Mr. N.L. Smith as the prospective 0.A.G. at the present juncture if anything were to happen to Sir G. Northcote.
As a first step I suggest a personal telegram to Sir G. Northcote as attached.
agree
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