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parties and of arranging a settlement that will be acceptable to both parties, or at least of settling the differences
between HongKong and Canton.
Such an agent should in my opinion be a British
Whoee. subject of Chinese race: a man shoe reputation, character and integrity are respected not only by the Cantonese but also by the Northern Chinese, so that he can mix with them without
raising suspicion.
He should also be a man of wealth, so that the Chinese would know that he was not working for any selfish ends but only in the interest of peace and goodfellowship. He must also enjoy the respect and confidence of the Pritish, and should assume the character of a private unofficial tourist or observer: a friend to all parties but bound to none. He would then be in a position to act as a mediator when the
proper monent arrived.
The idea is to get the Chinese at Canton to seek
the assistance and co-operation of this man, and to agk him to approach the British and endeavour to induce them to relax
a part of their firmness and grant further concessions.
Such an agent would of course work in consultation with H.B.I. Minister at Peking and the Governor of Hong Kong. The British Government could not at the present juncture have abler or more experienced representatives than Sir Ronald Macleay and Hr. Clementi, whose knowledge of Chinese charector
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