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 33

CO129 Colonial Office Hong Kong Records 理藩院香港檔案 All

+

D

61124/29

In any further communication on this subject, please quote

No. F 4433/4216/10

and address--

not to any person by name,

but to-

--

The Under-Secretary of State."

Foreign Office,

London, S.W.1.

REC

- 5 SEP 1929 LOFFICE

Sir,

753

33

FOREIGN OFFICE.

S.W. 1.

4th September, 1929.

I am directed by Mr. Secretary Henderson to refer to your

letter No. 61127/29 of the 13th ultimo relative to the

recommendation made by the Governor of Hong Kong in the sense

that the four British authorities in the Far East should meet

in conference, as a matter of routine, at least once in every

year.

2. I am to say that Mr. Henderson entirely shares Lord

Passfield's view that periodical conferences between these

authorities would serve the useful purpose of promoting co-

operation and the exchange of information. In the existing

conditions in China, however, His Majesty's Minister at

Peking is constrained, in order to fulfil the duties of his

mission, to undertake frequent and prolonged journeys in China,

as the circumstances of the moment dictate and often at very

short notice and those conditions must be expected to continue

to prevail for some years to come. It might therefore

seriously interfere with the discharge of the essential duties

of His Majesty's Representative in China if Sir M. Lampson and

his successors were bound by standing instructions to attend a

conference, whether at Hong Kong or elsewhere, at any specified

date or even during the course of every year, without exception,

and Mr. Henderson would not feel justified in so instructing

His Majesty's Representative. He would suggest for the

consideration of Lord Passfield that it might be preferable to

leave/

The Under Secretary of State,

Colonial Office.

Comments

Approved members can add comments, bookmarks, and private notes.

No comments yet.

Private Research Note

Private notes are available after approval.