CO129-564-11 Road communications with Canton. Includes 1 photograph depicting- Bridge over Shum Chun River- China. Dated... 20-8-1937 - 18-1-1938 — Page 12

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6 Fo. my

more accommodating than hitherto towards legitimate

Chinese requests, but perhaps it would be possible

for the Colonial Office, if a suitable opportunity

occurred, to keep before the Governor the desirability

of being as accommodating to China as circumstances

permitted.

On the particular project of the road

connection the Foreign Office appreciated that it was

necessary for us to consult the War Office on the

defence aspect before we could commit ourselves to

approving the projected work, particularly since it

now appears from No. 9 that a separate road bridge

is contemplated.

No. 10 has also since come in from Hong Kong,

and is obviously urgent.

? Send to the War Office confidentially

copies of 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10, saying that it will be

observed that a separate road bridge is contemplated,

the whole length of which from bank to bank would be

in British territory, and ask for their observations

on the proposal from the defence aspect. Add that in

view of the Governor's proposal in No. 10 it is

extremely desirable that a very early decision should

be taken on the subject of the road connection.

Copy above with enclosures to the Foreign

Office, Air Ministry, Admiralty, D. C. T., and Board

*

of Trade, and to the Foreign Office say in a covering

letter that the Secretary of State will be glad to

have their views on the proposals in No. 10 on the

assumption that there are no military objections to

the completion of the road connection and the

construction of a separate road bridge on the frontier.

Arhan