CO129-590-6 Liaison between Hong Kong Government and British Ambassadors in China and Japan 8-11-1940 - 1-2-1941 — Page 9

The proposal of organising a Political Bureau at Singapore, or for appointing in due course a travelling Counsellor with headquarters at Singapore, is certainly worth pursuing although I much prefer your plan of a travelling Counsellor to Scott's project of a Political Bureau. Such a Counsellor may in due course be in a position to take over the functions of the personal representative at Hong Kong. But to my mind we should not delay the local arrangement at Hong Kong a moment longer than is necessary to secure a suitable person to fill the role.

Yours sincerely,

(Sgd.) G.E.J. Gent.

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RE1st January, 1941.

(F 5053/5053/91)

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Dear Gent,

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With reference to your letter to Sterndale-Bennett of the 8th November last on the subject of the desirability of closer liaison between the Government of Hong Kong and His Majesty's Ambassadors in China and Japan, I enclose herein a draft telegram which it is proposed to send to Chungking and Tokyo, and should be glad to know if you concur in its terms.

The telegram is, I think, self explanatory, but you will see that it was felt that the original idea might be expanded to cover Bangkok, Singapore, the Commander-in-Chief Far East, Saigon and Batavia,

because all Far Eastern countries are involved in present political and economic problems in that part of the world and might therefore advantageously be included in the

scheme.

I should perhaps add that Mr. P. D. Butler, at present Consul-Genenl in San Francisco, was a member of

the/

G. E. J. Gent, Esq.,C.M.G.,D.8.0.

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