CO129-487 - Others & Individuals - 1924 — Page 508

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this would be an unprecedented and very

undesirable step. An extension for one,

two or at the most 3 years would seem

the right course.

So far as the Far East Depart-

ment are concerned we should have no

serious objection to the prolongation

of his term. He has been an able and

a firm though sometimes hard and

arbitrary Governor, and has shown him-

self in particular a competent financier.

That he has found favour with the Un-

officials is clear enough from this tele-

gram and from the petition in 13438/24 .

Unfortunately he has been far

from finding favour with the Foreign

Office. In December 1923 Lord Curzon in

-

a private letter pressed for his speedy removal from Hong Kong see 62381/23 -

This resulted in a very serious telegram being sent to the Governor on the 22nd of

December (62381/23) which should be read with the Governor's telegram of the 29th of December (63029/23) and the minutes

thereon.

The Foreign Office did not return

to the charge directly, but in a visit to

Sir H. Lambert some little time ago

(?)Mr. Wellesley asked that the Foreign

Office might be consulted before a fresh

appointment was made to Hong Kong.

Sir H. Lambert would not agree to

official consultation but agreed to do

497

so privately if the matter fell to

be dealt with by him. I am afraid

that there can be no doubt that

Foreign Office will be against any

prolongation of Sir E. Stubbs' term

and strongly so against any long

extension.

Sir E. Stubbs has also

irritated the Home Office here by his

attitude on the opium question and

by the tone of his despatches.

Mr. Fletcher, Assistant Colonial

Secretary, Hong Kong, who is the

Governor's closest friend and

supporter and who is now at Geneva

to help the British delegate has

(I learn from Mr. Paskin) unneces-

sarily developed strained relations

with Sir M. Delevingne.

I feel bound to say that

tact judgment and moderation do not

characterise the Government of Hong

Kong as now constituted and to part

Sir E. Stubbs from Mr. Fletcher would

be in the public interest (Sir C.

Severn, Colonial Secretary of Hong

Kong retires next year, and Sir E.

Stubba has already made every effort

to secure the succession of Mr.Fletcher),

A.E.C.

18/11/24.

BO