CO129-619-1 Parliamentary delegation to China 1-9-1947 - 23-12-1947 — Page 166

To the

270 Breedon St.

Long Eaton. Notts.

6th Sept' 47.

164

5.

Rt Hor Creech Jones.MP.

Secretary of State for the Colonies.

food

Dear Mr Jones,

I did mention to you that Mcleavy and myself both m members of the Colonial and Far Eastern Grops were going out to China on the 29th of this month, with the Parliamentary Delegatio at the invitation of the Chinese Gov' and you told me to contact you, if I thought you could be of any help in making the trip interesting. We are flying to China and during our stay there we are continuously flying over great distances and my Labour Coll- eague and myself indicated to the Foreign Office, that we should very much like to come back by sea. As this is cheaper, Kitson at the Foreign Office thought that no difficulty would arise but difficulties have arisen, for we shall have a wait at Singapore $ ten days and without some help we shall be stuck there or most likely have to travel by air. the other members of the party have all engagements that makes it necessary for them to fly back.

As I have mentioned we are both on the Colonial Committee and without any loss of time we could utilise that nine days wait in Malaya, and we are not fellows that detail all the tropical heat and muck and pour it down the Colonial Secretary's neck, for are sufficiently well informed to know that such condi- tions have existed from time immemorial and will exist for some time to come but we have some knowledge of what is being attempted

I have spoken to you several times and I hope you remember me and also I hope you can give us sufficent introductions. to enable to utilise a stay in Singapore and the district with advantage. We can only take out £35 and we shall have done about five weeks by Nov' 9th when we are due in Singapore, the boat leaves on the 20th of Nov', so we shall be broke and conditions in Singapore are bad from the Hotel point of view, costing swollen prices. Will you please try and fix us up to visit places outside the City and it will be a fine educational opportunity and fit us better to speak of Malaya. Please do what you can, we are due toè leave England on the 29th of Sept'.

As I am taking my family to Guernsey on Monday for a short holiday, from the 8th of Sept' to the 22nd, if you desire t contact me during that time, the address is c/o Mrs H. F. Lynch Chaumette Farm. Forest. Guernsey.CI.

Please do what you can.

Yours Sincerely

James Harrison

met.