CO129-518-3 Proposals to hold periodical conferences between principal British authorities in China- and the government in... 13-8-1929 - 31-12-1929 — Page 25

7.

in person with our Consul General at Canton. For

all these reasons I think that the proper meeting

place is this Colony.

in saying this, I do not for a moment forget

the difficulties of your position and the kaleidos-

copic changes of chinese politics with which you

have to grapple; but I believe that you will be

greatly assisted yourself in dealing with these

difficult matters, if you and your Secretary are

periodically in personal touch with men and affairs

in South China.

I think that the Foreign Office, and perhaps

even you, scarcely make sufficient allowance for the

fact that I wn not, as you are, an individual

representative of British authority, but am the head

of a government, and that, if my work in Hong Kong

is to be successful, I have to associate with myself

in my deliberations and decisions a large number of

British and Chinese merchants, whose views it is not

often easy to reconcile with Anglo-Chinese policy, as

dictated from Downing Street, It is a great help to

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