CO129-611-2 Liaison with British Embassy and consulates in China- appointment of political advisor 1-9-1945 - 20-10-1947 — Page 93

my dear Sargent.

4th March, 1947.

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I venture to seek your assistance in connection with the appointment or a Political Liaison Officer to Hong Kong. You may remember that I mentioned the matter, when we had our talk on the 25th of February, as one in which my Secretary of State is very much interested.

The idea of creating this appointment originated with ir liorace Seymour who suggested, soon after the liberation of Họng Kong, that a Liaison Officer should be appointed for the purpose of ensuring closer contact between the Hong Kong Government and our Embassy in China, and advising the Governor of Hong Kong generally on political affairs in China. This proposal was put to the Governor in May 1946. Sir ark Young was naturally pre-occupied with more immediate matters at that time, but he replied in November last agreeing to the suggestion and asking that an officer of the Foreign Service with China experience should be seconded for about three years to the Government of Hong Kong as olitical Adviser. Sir Mark Young made two other recommendations which I need not go into here.

Your people have expressed themselves as fully in agreement with this proposal but have found difficulty, in view of present staff shortages, in releasing a suitable officer. (See Kitson's létter to Mayle of the 20th of February – F.Ö. reference F.1666/376/6 ) The Ambassador confirms this

Sir Orme Sargent, KCB, KCMG.

difficulty