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 26

In any

further communication

on this subject, please quote

No. F 9163/7455/10.

and address-

not to any person by name

but to---

The Under-Secretary of State,"

Foreign Office,

London, S.W.1.

Confidential.

Dup

FOREIGN OFFICE.

S.W.1.

12th November, 1937.

19

26

Sir,

RECEIVED

15 NOV 1937

C...REGY

I am directed by Mr. Secretary Eden to acknowledge

the receipt of your letter No. 53851/37 of the 6th instant

on the subject of road communication between Hong Kong and

Canton and to request you to inform Mr. Secretary Ormsby-

Gore that he certainly considers it desirable in principle,

subject to there being no strong military objection, to

proceed with the early completion of the connexion in

question.

2.

Mr. Eden would deprecate using the scheme as a

ineans of pressure to secure freer passage for shipping to

and from Canton. The road scheme seems likely in itself

to be of benefit to tre Colony and a failure to treat it

on its own merits might well lead to ill-feeling on the

part of the Chinese authorities which in general is

undesirable and which might in this instance make them less

inclined to listen to representations on the other question.

The Chinese authorities are no doubt influenced purely by

military considerations in the measures they have taken on the

river and will not be averse to modifying them if convinced

that they are not indispensable. The latest reports indeed

seem to show that the position is more favourable than it was.

I am,

Sir,

Your obedient Servant,

Aw. Orde

The Under-Secretary of State

Colonial Office.