.E.
8
It has long been apparent to us and no doubt
to the Foreign Office that there is a serious
lack of liaison between His Majesty's Minister
at Peking with his consular officers in various
parts of China and the Governor of Hong Kong.
It is not too much to say that there is
antipathy on the part of the Hong Kong authorities
to the whole policy of His Majesty's Government in
as it is largely China largely formulated on the advice of His
Majesty's Minister at Peking.
There is every inlication, for instance,
that if an "equal" treaty is concluded between this
Country and the Republic of China the Government
of Hong Kong will resist to the last ditch the
changes which must necessarily be the logical
outcome in the Colony of the provisions of such
a Treaty.
-
In certain respects the same may be expected
from the Government of the Straits Settlements.
It is therefore a vital matter that no time
should be lost in setting up some machinery for
liaison
person liaison between Hong Kong and
His Majesty's Diplomatic and Consular authorities
in China, and I doubt if it will be achieved if
left to become a matter of the personal convenience.
and amour propre of the Governor and His Majesty's
Minister. The occasional meetings which may take
place on that basis seem to me likely to be
productive only of friction and an emphasis on
points of disagreement.
I
Page
Page
Alle no doubt but narrow-gratter anath to parricin the change in the Zutjustame
But des
I believe the crux of the problem lies in
the person andthe duties of the Secretary for Chinese
Affairs in the Hong Kong Administration.
This appointment is the highest in the Hong Kong
Cadet Service, and is one of very great
influence in the Colonial Government and in the
policy of the Governor.
The present holder of the appointment Mr. Hallifax, a most able officer of unequalled knowledge and experience of every aspect of Chinese life in the Colony, has served in Hong
Kong since 1898. Since 1911 he has held the
appointment of Secretary for Chinese Affairs.
Of the importance of his duties and his
position I refer to the despatch No. 1 in
in agile the 52846/28.
in
Pary
Lan
Me
Mr. Hallifax has I believe during
the whole of his 18 years' tenure of the
appointment paid only one visit even to Canton - in 1926 for the negotiations with Mr. Eugene
Chen about the anti-British boycott. His time is of course fully occupied by his by
his multifarious duties in the Colony itself
and moreover it has been no part of his
traditional duties to act in any sense as a liaison officer between the Hong Kong Government
and the British authority in any part of China.
It seems to me to be the right view that
-
in any conflict between the interests of Hong
Kong and the policy of His Majesty's Government
the former must without question be subordinated after every opportunity has been taken to make clear the views of the Governor of Hong Kong before the decision on policy is taken, and that
the
age 9
age 9
Pag
Pag
10
e 10
Being mussanly a cadet of long experience of it, he wo be competent be
undertake messime even where the business was mainly of a commercial char oste v 8.g. some shopping problem.
the normal channel of making the Colony's interests
known should be by direct and sustained liaison
with His Majesty's Minister at Peking, the
Governor of course having the discretion to appeal on any particular matter direct to the Home
Government through the Secretary of State. But
annual meetings between the Minister's Chinese
Secretary, and the Secretaries for Chinese Affairs
in the Hong Kong and Malayan administrations seem
to me not enough, not even if the suggested
periodical meetings of the Minister, the Naval
and Military Commanders, and Governor can also
be arranged.
Λ
Frequent and incessant ad hoc liaison is
required and the initiative should as a general
rule be taken by the Governor of Hong Kong. Το
enable him to do this adequately he should be
able to send to the Minister the Secretary for Chinese Affairs as his personal representative
x
to put his views before the Minister, and to What is the whole of any ascertain
Λ
problems on which
British policy has to be formulated.
No officer
inthe Hong Kong service of lesser standing,
knowledge, and experience than the Secretary for
Chinese Affairs could adequately carry out this
rôle. It would probably be necessary for an
appointment of Deputy Secretary for Chinese
Affairs to be created in Class I of the Cadet
service in order that the duties of the Head of
the Chinese Affairs Secretariat in the Colony
could
e 10Page 11
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.