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to imply that China would have to make some concessions to Russia but he would not be specific when the words "railway" or "free port" were intro- duced by the pressmen. On Hong Kong he was interesting; and Keith Officer had heard from another source that he had been rather nastily truculent. According to Moosa, however, he was conciliatory and not minatory in any sense. This was his line: "China definitely wishes to get Hong Kong back but my own view is that we should not exert any pressure on the British to this end. Great Britain has shown herself, over many years, to be guided in her policies by common sense: events have shown her that without a friendly hinterland Hong Kong is militarily untenable: she will therefore wish to come to terms with the more powerful Chinese state of the future on a rational basis. It may take time but, in my opinion, China needs do no more than show her interest in the Colony; and the processes of good sense will work upon the British Government."
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