CO129-524-4 Chinese Telegraph Office in Hong Kong 30-12-1929 - 9-12-1930 — Page 52

MINUTE OF INTERVIEW AT THE WAI CHIAO PU, HANKING,

ON FEBRUARY 13th, 1930.

52

Present:

The Minister for Foreign Affairs and Er Hsu Mo.

H.B.M. Minister and Mr Teichman

CHINESE TELEGRAPH OFFICE IN HONG KONG.

Sir Miles Lampson referred to the prolonged

controversy which there had been over this matter

and mentioned his anxiety to see it tidied up and

finished once and for all. But he had recently

been in Hong Kong himself and realised that the

Hong Kong Government had their side of the question to

consider. What they wanted was someone outside of

the political arena, a man who was neither a military

man nor a politician, in fact a technician, and an

ordinary telegraph man. The Hong Kong Government

did not like Mr Lu, the present appointee, because

he was a military man mixed up with local politics.

Dr Wang replied that it was reasonable that

they should not want a military man, but it was rather

difficult for the Chinese Government to accept the

principle that he should not be connected with politics.

In view of the important situation of Hong Kong vis-a-

vis Southern and Central China and the fact that a

system of party government existed, the man must neces-

sarily be in the confidence of the Government and to

that extent a party man.

Sir Miles Lampson said that he had endeavoured,

in his desire to get this vexed question tidied up and

out of the way, to explain the position in an Aide-

Memoire, of which he gave Dr Wang a summary verbally.

Dr Wang