CO129-507-9 Chinese Telegraph Office- Hong Kong- transfer to Cantonese control 4-1-1928 - 20-7-1928 — Page 52

2.

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emphasizes the fact that the appointment is made by

the Kwangtung Provincial Government.

3.

The Governor of Hongkong insisted that the

title should be (

) (Commercial Agent

in charge of the Chinese Telegraph Office in Hongkong)

which would not be open to the objections mentioned

above. I enclose copies of correspondence, as marked

in the margin, showing that I made every endeavour,

by personal visits and written communications, to in-

duce the Canton authorities to accept the Governor's

version, but without success, and, as the Governor

also declines to give way on the point, the question

remains in statu quo.

4. It has become increasingly evident that the

nationalist or Southern authorities desire to obtain

the right to make this appointment on the same terms

as Peking has hitherto enjoyed, more for political

propaganda reasons than for any advantages which the

actual control of the office may give. They wish

to publish the change of control as an indication of

the advance they are making towards securing recog-

nition as the government of China, and they want to

advertise it as a political victory over the North.

They have in fact already done so, and without

waiting for the completion of the negotiations, an

article has been published in the newly revived

"Canton Gazette" stating that the Chinese telegraph

office in Hongkong has been taken from the hands of

the Northern militarists and brought under the control

of the Provincial Government. It was further stated

in the same article that Mr. Kong Siu Lui had been

appointed director of the said office, no mention being

made of the stipulation that it should be a commercial

agency/