CO129-420 - Governor Sir May - 1915 [1-2] — Page 358

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NS SECRET.

15

355

428115

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Sir,

4500

GOVERNMENT HOUSE,

HONGKONG. 11th. February, 1915.

49386117

With reference to my Despatch No. 356 of the

29th. October, I have the honour to transmit for your information the enclosed copy of correspondence with the General Officer Commanding on the subject of the permission granted by me to the Agents in Hongkong of the Basel Mission in the Kwangtung Province to withdraw for the subsistence of members and Chinese employees of the Mission, certain funds lying to the credit of the Mission in two of the British Banks in Hongkong. I attach a copy of the application made by the Treasurer of the Mission to Messrs. Lowe, Bingham and Mathews and of the reply which I authorised to be sent

to it.

2.

As Major-General Kelly has made a special point

of Mr. Bitzer's untrustworthiness, I deem it desirable to give the following details concerning his case.

The trial of this gentleman by Court Martial

is the case referred to in the 9th. paragraph of my Secret Despatch

of the 25th. of September last. Oral application was made to me for consent to a trial by Court Martial, and I assented provided a charge could be legally framed against him under the Army Act. I regret that I did not, as I have done in subsequent cases, require the charge and evidence on which it is based to be first submitted

because I have very grave doubts as to whether Mr. Bitzer

committed

to me,

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

LEWIS HARCOURT, M.P.

&C.

&C..

&c. ..