L:
153166/49.
PERSONAL
27X
67
9
Colonial Office,
The Church House,
Great Smith Street,
S. W. 1.
5th November, 1949.
We have been looking at your secret savingram No.137 of the 11th October about "Advice on Trade". We note that you do not think a visit by an expert adviser would be of much help at the present juncture. The changes in the pattern of Hong Kong's trade, to which you refer, have caused us to wonder whether there are any other steps than the visit of an adviser which could usefully be taken to relieve the burden of work which I imagine must be falling pretty heavily on the departments concerned with the trading and industrial activities of the Colony. Unfortunately, Himsworth's departure has coincided with a period of transition in Hong Kong trade and it occurs to us that you may be experiencing some difficulty in filling the gap left by him.
In view of the international importance of Hong Kong's trade, we are wondering whether the time may not have come for you to increase your establishment by the creation of some such post as Economic Secretary with general responsibility for trade and industrial policy, and having under him the Imports and Exports Department and the Trade and Industrial Department. You might care
to think this over and let us know whether you would like us to pursue the matter and try and find a suitable candidate.
I am all too conscious in making this suggestion, even on a semi-official basis, that we ourselves have had acute difficulty in finding Economic Secretaries for other Colonies. They certainly do not grow on every tree. I imagine that what you would want would be someone with a good deal of experience of Far Eastern trade, and I confess that we cannot think of anybody at the moment. If you did wish to pursue the matter, it might be worth your while, in considering the field of possible candidates, to approach the China Association for any advice they might be in a position to give about likely candidates. We should, of course, also have to know what terms you were prepared to offer if you thought well of the suggestion.
SIR ALEXANDER GRANTHAM, K.C.N.G.
(Signed) A.H. Poynton.