CO129-505-6 Chinese telegraph office at Hong Kong- transfer to Cantonese control 8-7-1927 - 29-12-1927 — Page 24

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PARAPHRASE TELEGRAM from the Governor of Hong Kong to the

Secretary of State for the Colonies.

(Dated 19th December, 1927.

Received Colonial Office 11.44.1

19th December, 1927.)

Your confidential despatch of 18th October.

a

I had conference at Peking on 15th November with

Chiang Tsun Wei Director General of Chinese telegraph

administration.

He proposed that I should recognise Chen

Ching Wen as manager of the Chinese telegraph officer in

Hong Kong in lieu of the present manager who is charged

with misappropriating funds. With the concurrence of

Sir M. Lampson I replied that provided that Chen was

acceptable to Canton Authorities he would be acceptable

to Colonial Government, but that if the Canton authorities

could not see their way to accepting him Hong Kong would

feel compelled to close down Chinese telegraph office in

the Colony and work with Canton by wireless pendingua

satisfactory settlement as to future control of land line

to Canton and of its terminus at Hong Kong.

the

Chen has new arrived here and at interview which I

gave him to-day stated that it is not possible for him

under existing conditions to visit Canton and that he is

not aware who is the present manager of telegraphs at

Great confusion of course exists there and

Canton.

the future is completely uncertain.

There has been a great degeneration of conditions

since 15th November when Lichaisum was still ruler of

Canton. In the circumstances I submit that it is the

highest time to end the anomaly whereby rival authorities

of