CO129-400 - Governor Sir May - 1913 [3-4] — Page 31

Enclosme to Despatch Confidential of

6 March 113. 30

Conversation with Mr.Liang Shui Yi on 1 March

in the presence of Mr. Lau Chu Pak.

0.

1913 C.

10721

Reap 31 MAR 13

Mr.Liang Shrad Yi, who is principal Private

Secretary to Yuan Shi Kai, called om me by appointment.

He said that he had been sent from Peking to enquire

into the state of the administration of Canton. He

proposed to spend about a month in Canton and said

that he would call upon me on his return, and consult

with me by the light of the information he hoped to

gain there. In the meantime he said that he would be

much obliged if I would tell him confidentially what

my opinion of the Government of Canton was.

As Mr.Liang bore a letter of introduction from

Sir John Jordan, who asked me to help him in any way

I could, I deemed it expedient to speak frankly.

I began by saying that I was very well disposed

towards China and the Chinese, and that I had relinquished

the Government of Fiji and the High Commissionership

of the Western Pacific, where the work was extremely

interesting and more congenial, the jurisdiction

much larger and the remuneration ( considering

the difference in expenses) not much less, in order

to return to this Colony, where I hoped to be of some

assistance to the Government of South China. I added

that I had entered into personal relations of a quite

friendly nature with the Governor-General of Kwang tung

and the principal Provincial officiala, and that I

was always ready to do anything I could to help them.

I then pointed out that the crux of the situation

in Canton was the financial condition, which was very

unsatisfactory.