CO537-3709 — Page 48

See los 34 (& 3 copies)

Conded: Governor, Jong Long,

British Conulate-Concral,

Canton.

2nd February, 1948.

sir,

I have the hour to inform Your Fixcellency that shortly after the receipt of daniding telegram in. 5 of 20th January concerning a flag raising ceremony at the old Consulate site in the presence of the Mayor and a detachment of Chinese soldlers presenting arm, Major- General 7. 5. ang, a Municipal Councillor, called upon me and I informed hån: o: its contonts and requested him to tell the Mayor that I had received this telegram end that as soon as a flagetaff had been erected I should be calling upơn hẳn formally to discuss details. Mr. T. £. ib, Personal secretary of Dr. Soong, also visitet sø at about the same time and I drew his attention to our desire that a rdlitary gard of honour should be present. lle ruised no objections whatever,

2.

I then sent for a Contmetor to touder for erecting a flapole near the previous flagstaff site, he said that he could arent a forty-foot painted pole in three days and the original flagstaff in five days, by the purchase locally of the sections of the original flagstaff which were borit, The geml opinion sconset British subjects seemed to be that it would be better to wait the extru. two days and conduct the ceremony in sam style with a flagstaff as nearly as possible identical with thắt rulled down.

3.

The Contractor, however, after some delay, reported that he was unable to purchase the missing sections in Quiton bus that they ould easily be procured in Hong Kon 11r. Blackwell left on 23rd Jarry for ilong Kong with instructions to try to obtain from the daval ford, and bring back with him by "Patshan" on 26th January, the deairod asutions, He was unable to purchase these sections but retumed with a wireless mist which it wns stated oxuld be erected in a few hours. shon, however, an attapt was mule to do this, no one could fathoa how this must fitted together, despite the presence of two Ministry of Corks en rincers. In the meantime, the Contractor reported that he hid found a place in Canton where he could purchase the dosired sections of the ori imi mat. Jo was, therefore, instructed to do so.

Live

In the interval I had received Your call:ncy's telegrun No. 13 of 24th Janary onquiring as to the positin and stating thet the ceremony shaild be bold as soon as possible. As um rodicted delay had occurred in repairing the original flo staff, I at once haul a teporary pole run up so that the coremny could be hold as soon as the Mayor received sindlər instructions to mina concaming the site of the ceremony, namely, near where the flag had been torn dovt. I had, by this time, already, as reported in my telegram. 13 of 23rd January, called u on the Payor formally to make arrungonante for the ceremony and impressed u on him the importance of holding the ceremony at the riginal site as atted in Bankin: telegrum 0. 5. In my telegram 7. 17 of 25th Jwary I reported to Your Excellency that the Corenony vuld be beld as son as the Mayor raceived instructions sixdl:r to my own, and in sy telegram 12, 19 of 27th Jury, 1 further roparted tut the Mayor ha received a roly stating that the cermany was to be held at the temporary Consul te. I therefore requested further instructions.

:.

The same day, namely 27th Jamury, I culled upon De, Soong in oxoction with another matter and before leaving he enquired whether there were any other subjects I should like to discuss, As at that date

a ojesty's Ambassador,

British Embassy,

Mounking.

I had/...

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