4.
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demonstrating to them as a Nation our determination to assist
in the fulfilment of their National aspirations. Although the
question in many respects is simpler than that of Shanghai, because
the International situation does not come into it at all, the
problem still bristles with difficulties, and the only way of
altering existing conditions in my opinion will be for the Labour
Government to seek the services of someone like Feetham (who is
coming to Shanghai to help to solve the problem there),
who
should be sent to Hong Kong to investigate and report as to how
the Municipal affairs of the Colony might be re-organized, not
only to make greater use of the Chinese, but also to effect
much needed economies in the administration.
such a man would, however, be quite useless unless he knew that
the Government's deliberate policy was to develop Chinese in
executive positions in the local Government of Hong Kong and tell
them how it could be done.
The appointment of
The foregoing, so far as I am able to do so at present,
deals with the Municipal side of the Hong Kong Government.
No useful purpose will be served by saying much about
the deplorable state of affairs existing between the Government of
Hong Kong and the Legation at Peking, because the situation is
perfectly well known to you. The utter lack of co-operation,
however, between these two departments is doing untold harm to
British interests in China. Hardly any question arises where it
is necessary for either the Governor of Hong Kong or the Minister
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