CO129-507-9 Chinese Telegraph Office- Hong Kong- transfer to Cantonese control 4-1-1928 - 20-7-1928 — Page 164

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CHINESE TELEGRAPH OFFICE IN HONGKONG.

Mr. Chiang (Tsiang) Tsun-wei, Director General

of the Chinese Telegraph Administration, called

by appointment on Sir C. Clementi at His Britannic

Majesty's Legation on 15th November. Mr. Chiang was

accompanied by his assistant Mr. Ju Jen-ho (J.H. Ju),

the Vice-Director General Mr. Wang Huan-wen, and Mr.

Ch'en Ch'ing-wen (C.M. Chen) of the Railway Department

of the Ministry of Communications. (The last named

is the officiel whom the Director General proposes to

send to Hongkong as Manager of the Chinese Telegraph Office

there in the hope that he may be able to arrange matters

with the Government of Hongkong and the Canton Authorities).

After an exchange of courtesies Sir C. Clementi

said he would like to explain the position to the

Director General. The Hongkong land line as far as

the frontier was kept in good order, the necessary work

being mostly done by the Eastern Extension Telegraph

Company; on the frontier there was an automatic switch,

two lines leading to Swatow and Canton respectively;

both these lines in Chinese territory were usually out

of repair and were continually being damaged by brigands,

soldiers, etc. In his, Sir C. Clementi's opinion, the

best course to follow in the interests of all concerned

would be to close the office for a time and carry on

telegraphic communication between Hongkong and Canton

by means of the two existing Government wireless in-

stallations; or failing this, to hand over the land

lines between Hongkong and Canton to a private company

to work and repair. In the latter event, however, the

repairs would certainly cost money, which would have

to be provided from some source or other.

A long/