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THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS,
CHATHAM HOUSE,
10 St. James's Square, London, S.W.1.
3rd December, 1947.
Dear Smith,
The Institute of Pacific Relations with headquarters in New York (of which as you may know the Royal Institute constitutes the national council for the United Kingdom) proposes to undertake upon an international basis the study of the requirements for efficienc public administration in Eastern Asia. The idea underlying this study is that, in view of the emergence of independent or semi-autonomous states in South East Asia, the reconstruction of Japan and Korea, and the present political confusion in China, the survey of past and present administrations in Eastern Asia, and of methods of future training of efficient and honest Civil Servants would be of constructive importance. Chatham House has undertaken as its contribution towards this study, to produce papers on public administration in India, Burma, Malaya and Hongkong.
I wonder whether you would be willing and feel able to write a paper of this nature about Hongkong? If so, we should be very appreciative and feel that the work was in the best possible hands. I should be very glad to discuss the project in greater detail whenever you are in London.
Yours sincerely,
(Sgd.) P.B. BUTLER
(Sir Paul Butler.)
N.L. Smith, Esq., (C.M.G.)
"Underfell",
Barbon,
Kirkby Lonsdale,
Westmoreland.