CO129-438 - Public Offices - 1916 — Page 538

384.

Colonial Office!

532

K.I.L/1.3/

My dear Sperling,

1

encirung

A 70

18th October 1916.

Cut Frauds let of 6 ou

4

a

With refereme to your letter of the you. re the pro- posed Intelligence Bureau at Shanghai; I suggest that a short telegram should be sent to the Consul General saying

that the formation of a Bureau on the lines suggested is

The activities should be confined to co-ordina-

approved.

ting all political intelligence and to facilitating such local

ection as may be desired by Petrie, Canning or Seigne.

The

respective positions and functions of these three officers will be affected by the establishment of the Bureau solely in that

they should keep it constantly informed.

This telegram should be amplified by a despatch dealing with general procedure and principles including the question of finance, and asking for a note based on the experience of the working of the Bureau gained up to date of the receipt of the

despatch.

The Bureau will in effect have two functions: (1) To co-

ordinate Shanghai information as described above, and (2) to