CO129-507-9 Chinese Telegraph Office- Hong Kong- transfer to Cantonese control 4-1-1928 - 20-7-1928 — Page 173

In any further communication on this subject, please quote

No.

and address-

776/76/10

not to any person by name,

but to-

"The Under-Secretary of State,"

Foreign Office,

London, S.W.1.

Sir,

X

5-276-64

FOREIGN OFFICE.

173

17 JAN 1928

FFICE

S.W.1.

16th January,

1928.

With reference to Foreign Office letter No. 9493/30/10

of the 4th instant regarding the Chinese Telegraph Office

in Hongkong, I am directed by Secretary Sir Austen Chamberlain

to state that a communication has been received from the

Chairman of the Eastern Extension Australasia and China

Telegraph Company, Limited, acquiescing in the proposal of

the Governor of Hongkong that they should operate the land

line to Canton as agents for the Chinese Ministry of

Communications on the understanding that His Majesty's

Government will support them in refuting any charge of

having violated the Agreement of 1884.

2. Sir Austen Chamberlain is accordingly prepared to concur

in the suggestion made by the Governor of Hongkong in the

first sentence or the fourth paragraph of his telegram of

December 19th. He thinks, however, that the further suggestion

made in the second sentence, that the Hongkong Government

should threaten to close down the Chinese Telegraph Office

in the Colony, should be left in abeyance for the present.

Copy of this letter is being sent to the Admiralty, War

Office, Air Ministry, India Office and General Post Office.

3.

I am,

Sir.

Your obedient Servant,

George Modnsey.

The Under Secretary of State,

Colonial Office.