CO129-497 - Public Offices - 1926 — Page 202

In his could not in any case be expected to pay. view if the proposal was to be pursued the best method of procedure would be to organise the Bureau under a member of the Consular Service, e.g. by the revival of the post of Commercial Secretary

At this, however, of the Legation for South China. the Foreign Office shied off in turn and even refused an interdepartmental conference to discuss matters: with the result that the War Office and Admiralty, who began to get restive, were told that we could make no further progress until we had discussed the position personally with the Governor on his next

leave.

Since then (July 1924) nothing has been done. Sir E. Stubbs came home last Autumn but for one

found possible to

reason or another it was not talk matters over with him,

Apart from a scheme for improving interchange of information between Hongkong, Canton, and Peking, which was adopted early this year, the Foreign Office have given no indication of a desire to improve intelligence in South China: nor have we had any reminders from the War Office and the Admiralty.

..

There can however be no doubt that there is a good deal of room for improvement

and in view of Mr.

Smith's remarks I think that it is high time that we gave further consideration to this aspect. I suggest therefore that should write to Foreign Office reference these reports, point out the emphasis which Mr. Smith lays on the inadequacy of the intelligence service at Canton and Hong Kong, and say that Secretary of State proposes, subject to

any

199

any observations Sir Austen Chamberlain may wish to

offer, to send a copy of the report to the Governor

of Hong Kong inviting his attention to the

correspondence referred to in the attached memorandum

and asking for an expression of his views in the light

of the experience gained during the troubles of the last year. Send copy to India Office Secret L.F.

but wait for Foreign Office reply before saying anything to War Office or Admiralty (or sending out the report to Straits Settlements or Hong Kong).

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6-7.26

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12.7.16.

Mr Becket

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