B. fd.v.m. 15/2 20
حسنقل .
18/2
Mr. E.R. Edmonds
I telephoned Mr. Kitson last night to enquire whether the Foreign Office had received a reply to their telegram to Nanking of the 5th February (copy below 25), asking for the Ambassador's suggestionofor filling the post of Political Liaison Officer, Hong Kong. There has been no such reply, and Mr. Kitson promised, at my request, to send a reminder and at the same time draw the Ambassador's attention to the fact that the Secretary of State for the Colonies attaches great importance to this post and is anxious that it should be filled as soon as possible.
Mr. Kitson was inclined to take the line that the reply which the Secretary of State for the Colonies gave in the House recently to the effect that action to give effect to the proposed appointment of a Political Adviser with China experience was in hand (the terms of which were of course agreed with the Foreign Office) did not commit the Foreign Office to finding a man for the job. I disagreed and pointed out that since China experience is an essential qualification, we must obviously look to them to suggest names.
If you will return this file to me I will remind the Foreign Office again in a week's time if I hear nothing by then.
البات
كين
2572
19.2.47.
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