Daily Prews. 11 " April 1912
SIR HENRY MAY.
The following letter signed "Another Old China Hand" appears in Truth under date of March 6th-While in your article on Sir Henry May (whose promotion to the first-class Governorship of Hongkong after only one year's previous service 2 Governor at Fiji bas aroused such unfavourable comment) you did no question his qualifications, you could easily have done so, and perhaps a reference to another "Old China Hand" may be as illuminating as one to your correspondent in your issue of February 28th or to "Who's Who "
It is true that Sir Henry Msy (as he prefers to be edled, not Sir Francis) has had thirty-one years' experience in Hong- kong, and probably does know every resident, British or i hinese, there, as his defender states; but has he used that knowledge for the betterment of either the British or Chinese residents when he WAS Colonial Secretary or Aeting Governor I am sure there are few in the know" who can say "yes" to that question. To him Hongkong owed the shortsighted and unwiss policy of the laws relating to prostitutes, which scattered them all over the colony and made them a public scandal throughout the Far East; to him belonged the credit of defeating the Bill for the registration and licensing of Chinese servants thing notorio sly badly needed, and one which the colony has sui- fared from the lack of ever since. As Acting Governor be so ar furthered British interests as seriously to impair the value of two of its most important branches through his policy of invariably showing favouritism
Cadet" official.
vo
Sir Henry may perhaps be the man for Hongkong during the disturbance in China, as your critic thinks, but that would only be because he seems to be in sympathy with Chinese officialdom. It was he who drove certain Portuguese clerks out of the service-who by long and faithful service had risen to positions of trust and replaced then by Chinese," in whom no faith or bust could be re- posed. The last case of this kind, I may meution, earned for him a well-deserved rap over the knuckles from the Secretary of State for the Colonies, who telegraphed ordering the immediate reinstatement of the clerk in question. It is interesting to note that while he thus impaired tho efficiency of certain Departments he was careful to retain the services of all the senior n n-Chinese in his own and all other Departments presided over by a "Cadet" oficer.
Sir Henry was undoubtedly popular with the horse-racing and yachting part of the community in the Colony, bat not so with the Colonial officiais, who were not in favour of his Russian methods of govern- ment. Lady May is so churning and generally beloved that she may re- cone le many to her husband's return to Hongkong; but it is rather amusing to read in the columus of the Morning Post devoted to Colonial Intelligence words to the effect. that great satisfaction is expressed in Hug kong at the appointment, etc., etc. This is obviously an inspired reply to you. original paragraph, as there can be no possible means of knowing in London what the local feeling may be. No one would pay several pounds to cable to this effect, except one who thereby protests too much" to prove its truth. But even if Sir Henry May is popular, is popularity to promote a man rather than performancs ?
C.O 14.462
A20821
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