CO129-298 - Governor Sir Blake Administrator Major Gen Gascoigne - 1900 [3-4] — Page 344

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are afraid that there is not now much prospect of the Govern-

ment being able to obtain the services of young Europeans

of the Class to which Mr. Ball belongs, who have spent

their early youth in China and have acquired

a knowledge of

the language. Nowadays parents send their childern home

at such an early age that they rapidly forget what Chinese

they ever leant. The Government must therefore rely on

Chinese interpreters. Much may be done to improve the tone

of the Service by engaging young men of good character and

respectable parentage, and an adequate salary will reduce

the strength of temptation. As we have said before, in

ordinary suits in the Supreme Court there is not much fear

of deliberate misinterpretation. In important cases which

bear a political aspect, it will always possible to have

the interpretation watched by some qualified European

Officers.

($d.)

A.W.Brewin.

Thomas W Pearce.

Ho Kai.

H.J.Gompertz.

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