CO129-428 - Public Offices - 1915 — Page 68

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and the British Members of the Chinese Branches of the

China Association are all, I understand, entirely in favour

of clearing out these Germans but the Foreign Office

have hitherto refused to move.

I have the idea that the reason why the Foreign Office

hang back is that there are no River Gunboats in Commission

now and they think they might have to ask the Japanese

to provide the force necessary to evict the Germans from

the Shameen Concession.

The Hongkong Volunteers, I am told, would be delighted to go and do it and I hope you will kindly consider the

proposal.

It is very hard on the poor Britishers at Snamean that they

should be forced to put up there Ĝernans in their midst

and it is harder still that these Germans should be

allowed by us to intrigue and plot against us and also

to trade against us in and from a British Concession.

Yours sincerely,

P.S.

Chas. 8. Gate

My speech on the 11th November was badly reported i.e.

at line 22 of col. 1446 "could expel" should of course be "could not expel"