CO129-558-11 Mission of Sir F. Leith-Ross to China- proposals for a Hong Kong - China customs... 29-9-1936 - 30-12-1936 — Page 123

these complaints related mainly to the lack of access to

the Ambassador, and they should be remedied by the

arrangement made under which the Ambassador will reside

for considerable periods at Nanking.

He should also

arrange to pay frequent visits to Shanghai: indeed,

from many points of view, it would be preferable if the

Embassy was located in Shanghai.

The present aivision

of the Embassy Services between Peking, Nanking and

Shanghai constitutes a real handicap to efficiency and

the more they can be concentrated either at Nanking or at

Shanghai the better. As regards the Consular Services,

the complaints appeared to be more substantial and to

merit close investigation. I have no means of judging

but the unofficial

the official work of these officers;

contacts which I had with them left me with the

impression that something is wrong.

Some of the

officers in particular the Consuls-General at Canton

<<

and Tientsin appeared to me admirable; but in other

places there was evidence of staleness, discouragement

and indifference.

the Consular Service, as a

Moreover,

whole, seemed to have inadequate contact with local

Chinese banking and business leaders. I suggest that the

Consular Services in China and Japan should be carefully

investigated by one of the Inspector-Generals of the

Consular Service and that the personnel should be

reviewed in the light of his Report. I also suggest

that the Head of the Mission should convene conferences

with the local Consular officers at the Embassy er at

other centres, when he is on tour,

Sn as to give them

more opportunities of exchanging views both with him and

with one another.

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