The fearlett has concerned by phone in imme
64
پیدا
22/1
sefl
Mr. Se
I understand from Mr. Scarlett of the Foreign Office that the note to the Chinese Ambassador was sent off yesterday. The Foreign Office adopted most of the amendments which we suggested (see my letter to Mr. Scarlett at No.66), including the revise of the penultimate paragraph, with some variations. The Foreign Office are telegraphing the text of this note to Nanking and I have asked them to repeat their telegram to Hong Kong.
Mr. Scarlett also concurred in the draft telegram to Hong Kong (copy at 64), asking whether it would help if the Chinese Government were asked to prohibit the Po-On magistrate or any other Kwangtung official from visiting Hong Kong unless invited to do so by the Hong Kong Government.
I am afraid that, I overlooked your intention to send this draft for approval here (your minute on red slip overleaf) and authorised the despatch of the telegram. I apologise for this oversight.
The Secretary of State has minuted on his copy of No.62 that he assumes that we are in touch with the Foreign Office about that telegram and would be glad to know whether any action can be taken to meet the Governor's point. I imagine that in addition to the objections hitherto raised by the Foreign Office to a simple official statement about the future of Hong Kong, there will now be the powerful argument that it would be contrary to our general foreign policy, as outlined yesterday, to do anything which might weaken the present Govern- ment in China. It seems to me, therefore, that
there
!.