CO129-507-9 Chinese Telegraph Office- Hong Kong- transfer to Cantonese control 4-1-1928 - 20-7-1928 — Page 92

7.

922

will an improvement in the wireless service between Canton

and Hong Kong finally kill it. Therefore, it would seem

that our best course for the present is to do nothing and

to wait for some further move either by Canton or Peking.

6.

The next day, after Mr. Brenan had returned

to Canton, I received a telegram dated the 10th April from.

Sir Miles Lampson, who had resumed duty in Peking, saying

that the Wai-chiao-pu continued to press for a reply on the

subject of the Chinese Telegraph Office in Hong Kong, and

that the Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs had raised the

matter in conversation on the 9th April. Sir Miles had

explained my attitude, namely, that i was determined to

remove this office from the sphere of Chinese political

intrigue, and that the best way to do this was either to

close the office altogether and maintain communication by

wireless, or else to hand over the office to the Eastern

Extension Telegraph Company to operate temporarily, pending

an agreement between the North and South. The Vice Minister

for Foreign Affairs agreed with him that this attitude was reasonable, but represented that the Peking authorities were much exercised over the reported handing over of the office to a canton nominee. He subsequently sent Sir Miles a private message, requesting him to telegraph to me suggesting the handing over of the office to the cable Company as a provisional compromise. Sir Miles added that he himself attached importance to adhering to the terms in

which he and I concurred, while he was in Hong Kong, for

taking action in the matter. Sir Miles has, however, overlooked the fact that my telegram of the 20th February, in the terms of which he concurred, definitely stated that i

would