1938-03-21 — Page 10

10

THE HONGKONG

MONDAY, MARCH TELEGRAPH

1938.

"M

R. EDEN has often

dictated Becret trentica to her," said a certain newspaper con- gratulating the confidential typist to the Secretary of State on a well-earned New Year honour.

Alaa

and alack for romance. There are ΠΟ secret treaties" these days. 'And the real work of the Foreign Office is nothing like so hush-hush and con- spiratorial as the thrillers would have us believe.

The "FO," and the Diplo-.. matic Service are to-day a busy organisation, whose work is voluminous rather than thrill- ing.

Some of it is just routine. Much

it is of

Important enough. But very little of it is exciting.

If the machinery wants over- hauling which It certainly does it is, because the work has become too heavy, and because the methods and tradt- tions are l-adapted to the new needs.

L

IKE so many institu- tions, it has never been consciously designed. It

has just grown and developed, a little haphazardly, in the 150 years of its existence.

It was only in 1782 that the Forelan Office was born. Before then foreign affairs had been dealt with haphazard by n Northern Secretary and a Southern Secre- tary, each of whom had plenty of other work to do.

But in 1782 Charles James Fox became the first Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.

Two

He had a modest sta IT. Under-Becretaries, 11 clerks, n Gazette Writer, a Latin Secretary, a Keeper of State Papers, Decl- pherer, an Interpreter of Oriental Languages.

And abroad a dozen or so Am- bassadors and Ministers, each of whom provided his own staff of aceraries.

In and out of the office went about a thousand dispatches a year all, of course, handwritten. all signed and often drafted by the Secretary of State himself.

They took days or weeks on the way. So Ambassadors and Minuls- tera had a pretty free hand.

When Stratford Canning was first in Constantinople in the first years of the nineteenth century. he received only 16 dispatches from home in two years!

T

70-DAY the yearly total of correspondence in and out runs into hundreds

of thousands. And every Embassy and Legation is in dally tele- Kraphile and telephonic touch with the office.

Polley can still be greatly Influ- enced by an Ambassador, because the Offee must largely depend on his reports, on his Judgment and on his advice in making up its mind on any question concerning to which he is the country accredited.

But, except in rarest cases, the effective decisions are all made in Downing Street.

So the first and dally job of an

In the news is the reorganisation of the Foreign Office. This article takes you behind the scenes,

tells you what the Foreign Office does., Picture is of the famous Locarno Room, named after the Treaty, here seen being signed.

How the

Foreign Office Works

By W. N. EWER

Our Diplomatic Correspondent

Ambassador these days to be a good reporter.

Je has to keep the office fully and accurately informed of what is happening and what is going to happen in "his" country. Not only of its diplomacy, but of its in- ternal politics, of its economies, of a hundred and one things which may be of interest either the Foreign Office itself or to some other Government depart- ment.

to

The other way round, as it were. he has to see, that the policy of H.M.G. is rightly understood in Ruritania. He has to think not

only of diplomatic Interests, but of all sorts of other interests. He is publicity man as well as reporter.

"I do not look upon myself as an Ambassador so much as a commer- elal traveller." sald one distin- guished diplomat to me as he was leaving for an important post. Of course, he exaggerated. But there Is point in the remark.

From

time he has time to negotiate trenties or agree- ments, which may be dull and technical or of grave political importance.

to

Or he may have, with Infinite

NYK

TELEPHONE 30291.

tact, to emooth out some sudden and dangerous misunderstanding,

Controlled though he may be from Downing Street, n Food Ambassador can do enormously Valuable work. A bad one, making blunders on the spot or feeding Downing Street with wrong or inadequate information can do incalculable harm.

And what is true of Ambassa- dora and their staffs is equally true of departmental heads in the oflee itself, on whose knowledge and judgment a Secretary State must inevitably and con- tinually rely.

H

of

row. does the machine function normally? Let us take His Majesty's relations with the Republic of Ruritania, somewhere in Europe.

There is a British Ambassador. in Ruritapolis. He has under him n Counsellor, two or three Secre- tarles of Embassy, a Commer- elal Counsellor, Naval, Military

Air Attachés, perhaps and Press Attaché.

籍

Also in the chief towns of Rurl-

there are a tania

number of Consuls and Vice-Consuls.

In the Foreign Office, Ruritania comes in the sphere of the West-

The P. & O. Banking Corporation, Ltd.

(Incorporated in England, 1920),

(t Cargo only) Authorised Capital ....

San Francisco via Japan Ports & Honolulu.

Titibu Maru (From Kobe) ..Sat., 9th April Talyo Maru (From Kube)..Mon., 25th April Seattle & Vancouver (Starts from Kobe),

Hikawa Maru

New York via Panarria.

+Kolyo Maru

.Mon., 28th March

..Sat., 9th Apr.

South America (West Coast) via Japan, Honolulu,

Hilo, Los Angeles, Mexico & Panama.

Takaoka Maru (From Kobe) Sat., 23rd April London, Marcilles, Antwerp & Rotterdam,

Terukuni Maru

Hakusan Maru

Haruna Maru

.Fri., 25th March

.Sat, 9th April

.Sat., 23rd April

Liverpool via Port Sald, Beyrouth, Istanbul, Piraeus.

and Marseilles.

+Dakar Maru

.Fri., 8th April

Sydney & Malbourno vla Manila & Ports.

Atauta Maru ....

..Sat., 26th March Kitano Maru ...........Sat., 23rd April Bombay via Singapore, Penang & Colombo.

Toyama Mari

+Kunishima Maru

..Sat., 26th March ..Sat., 9th April

Fri., 25th March

Calcutta vià Singapore, Penang & Rangoon,

Tsushiman Maru.....

Kobe & Yokohams. (Omitting Shanghai)

.Sat, 26th March Katori Maru Kachima Marus

....Sat, 9th April General Passenger Agents in the Orient for the CUNARD WHITE STAR LINE. Joint Passenger Agents for Gibb Livington Co.

£5,000,000 £2,504,160

£100,000

Subscribed and Paid-up Reserve and

HEAD OFFICE: 117-122, Leadenhall Street, London, ECJ,

WEST END BRANCI

14-16, Cockapur Street, London, S.W.. Call BLANCHES-Bombay, Calculla, rut. Colmbalare, Colombo, Ilongkong. Madran, Shanghal, Singapore.

Agencies: In all the principal towns of the world.

General Exchange and Banking bus- Loans and overdratis ness transacted.

Current granted on approved security. and Fixed Deposit accounts opened.

SAVINGS ACCOUNTS IN LOCAL GUR- at 25% per RENCY-interest allowed

ACCOUNTS:- STERLING BAVINGS Interest allowed of rates which may be obtained on application.

annuit.

TRAVELLERS LETTERS OF CREDIT. TRAVELLERS CHEQUES AND PAS SENGER LETTERS OF CREDIT (for w on board P. & O, and I. ). Steamers and at Parts of Cal) are issued at current rate of exchange and free of commission. AMERICAN EXPRESS TRAVELLEILS' CHEQUES sold and casked.

faken.

British Income Tax Recovered. Executorships and Trusteeships under-

G. D. BELL,

Manager. Hongkong, 6th January, 1938,

THE YOKOHAMA SPECIE BANK. LIITED,

Capital (fully paid-up) ...... Y.190,000,000 Reserve Fund ................................... Y.135,000,000 HEAD OFFICE:-YOKOHAMA Branches and Agencies at Alexandria Hongkong Kangoon

Bangkok Batavia Berlin

Bombay

Calcutta Canton Dairen

(Dalny) Fengtion

(Mukden) Hamburg Jankow Harbin

Honolulu.

Majl

Central Department, which also deals with Utopia, Welssnichtwo, Erewhon and adjacent Stales.

Head of the West-Central De- partment is a Counsellor: under him two or three Secretaries. Over him an Assistant Under-Secretary in charge of a group of Depart- ments.

A dispatch comes in from the Ambassador. It has to be de- ciphered and registered, and so on. Then it passes to n Secretary, who rends it and notes what he thinks should be done.

Perhaps a copy to the Board of Trade: or the dispatch, because it refers to Carmania, must be sent for cominent to the North- Western Department: or such and such a reply is indicated.

The Head of the Department approves or amends the sugges tions. If it is a routine matter he will deal with it himself. If it is too important he refers it to the for Under-Secretary Assistant decision.

If it is really important it must go to the Permanent Under-Sbere- tary and perhaps to the Secretary of State himself.

Them- They call a conference. selves, the Assistant Under-Secre- tary, heads of couple of Depart- ments, an adviser from the Legal The varlous De- Department. partments provide the necessary papers.

It is decided that the Secretary of State had better see the Ruri- tanian Ambassadors to clear up one or two points. He does so, and an account of the interview goes as dispatch to Ruritapolis.

with copy, for information, to the Ambassador In Carmania,

Then decision is taken: a note to the Ruritanian Government, with a covering note telling the Ambassador what line to take in presenting it. The Department drafts it: the draft is studied and revised and finally approved: and

of it goes in cipher "very secret

and confidential."

Na

TEXT day the Ambassa- dor reports that he has delivered it. And the News Department is instructed to release it for publication. Warna Ruritania" say the head- lines.

A SPECIMEN CASE

Case No. 2393

A boy of fourteen months whose father died and whose mother left him to work as an amah.

His grandmother looks after him and brings him most faithfully to the centre for milk. As the result of her devotion and the Society's help he is now well and thriving with seven teeth. HONGKONG SOCIETY FOR THE PROTECTION OF CHILDREN

Room 308, Bank of East Asia Building.

HONGKONG AND SHANGHAI BANKING CORPORATION.

Authorized Capital

$50,000,000 Issued and Fully Paid-Un.... $20,000,000 Reserve Funda

Sterling

#6,500,000 Hongkong Currency Reserve $10,000,000 Reserve Liability at Proprietors $20,000,000 BEAD OFFICE:—HONGKONG. BOARD OF DIRECTORS;— T. E. Pearce, Esq, Chairman,

Hon. Mr. J. J. Paterson, Deputy Chairman.

J. R. Masson, Esq. J. K. Bousfield, Esq. A. ii. Compton, Esq. G. Miskin, Esq.

Hon. Mr. S. H. Dodwell K, S. Morrison. Esq. Hon. Mr. M. T. Johnson A. L. Shields, Esq.

Sir Vandeleur M. Grayburn, CHIEF MANAGER. BRANCHES -

AMOY

BANGKOK

BATAVIA BOMBAY CALCUTTA CANTON CHEFOO COLOMBO DAIREN FOUCHOW HAIPHONG HAMBURG HANKOW HARBIN HONGKEW

ILOILO

POH JOHORE

KOBE

KOWLOON

KUALA LUMPUR

LONDON

LYONS.

MALACCA

MANILA

MUAR (JOHORE)

MUKDEN

NEW YORK PEIPING

PENANG RANGOON

SAIGON

SAN FRANCISCO SHANGHAI

SINGAPORE

SOURABAYA.

SUNGEI PATANI SWATOW

TIENTSIN

TOKYO TSINGTAO

YOKOHAMA

Current Accounts opened in Local Cur rency and Fixed Deposita received for one year or shorter periods in Local and other currenclen on terms which wil be quoted on application.

ALSO up to date SAFE DEPOSIT BOXES in various sizes TO LET. liongkong, 26th February, 1938.

HONGKONG SAVINGS BANK.

above Bank is The Business of the conducted by the · Hongkong and Shang- Dal Banking Corporation. Rulos may be obtained on application. FOR THE HONGKONG AND BHANGHAI BANKING CORPORATION.

V. M. GRAYBURN,

Chief Manigar. Hongkong, 20th February, 1030.

THE CHARTERED BANK OF INDIA, AUSTRALIA & CHUNA.

Incorporated by Royal Charter 1833 HEAD OFFICE:-LUNDON. 38 Bishopsgate, EC.2. Paid-up Capitol ...

$3,000,000 Reserva Liability of Proprietors £3,000,000 Reserve Fund B3,000,000 MANCHESTER BRANCH:

71 Mosley St, Manchester.

AGENCIES AND BRANCHES: Alor Star Ipoh Amritsar Iloilo

Karachi

Bangkok

Batavia

Klang

Bambay

Kobe

Calcutta

Eden

Canton

Kuala

Lumpur

Cawnpore Kuching

Cebu Colombo Delhi

Madras

Manila

Medan

Hamburg Hankow

Felping

(Peking)

Penang

But that is a high-light. Neces- sarity, when you think of two hundred thousand papers a year, most of the work is done in the Departments.

"I ani instructed by His Majesty's Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs" is just a formula. It is a long time since Queen Vic- toria insisted that no dispatch leave the office before it had been shown not only to the Prime Min- ister but to herl

So it goes on. There was a time when

the aristocratic Foreign Omeo clerk spent a few hours a day copying out dispatches in n "fair round hand" and sealing bags.

To-day, even for the juniors, the work is always fairly hard, sonic- times very hard, decidedly compll- cated, and often quite responsible. And it is, by comparable standards, badly underpaid.

If reform is going not only to provide the reorganisation, redis- tribution and administrative sim- plification needed for efficiency, but also to provide an adequate supply of really first-class men for the first-class jobs, the Treasury will have to do something about it.

laiphong New York

Karbin

langkong

Rangoon

Salyan

Semarang

Seremban

Shanghai

Singapore Sitiawan

Sourabaya

Talping Tientsin Tongkah

(lihuket)

Thingto

Yakoharna

Zamboanga

Foreign Exchange and General Bank- ing business. iransacted.

Current Accounts opened and fixed Deposits received for one year or shorter periods at rates which will be quoted on aon.

Bank's Head Office in London undertakes Executor & Trustee business, and claims recovery of British Income Tax overpaid, on terms which may be ascertained at any of its Agencies & Branches,

THE BANK OF EAST ASIA,

** LIMITED.

Authorised Capital ... $10,000,000,00 Paid-up Capital .....

$ 5,500,000.00 Reserve and Undivided

Profits

# 2.776,720.70

HEAD OFFICE:-BONGKONG 10. Des Voeux Road, Central

BOARD OF DIRECTORS: Bir Shouson Chew, Chairman. Li Koon Chun, Esq. Fung Ping Wah. Esq. P. K. Kwok, Esq. Li Lan Sang, Ex Wong Yun Tong, Esq. Wong Chu Bon, Lag. Chang Chung Bitek, Eaq. Kan Ying Po, Esq. KAN TONG PO, Esq. Chief Manager. LI THE FONG, E1Q, Manager. "DRANCHES AND AGENCIKS:—___

Melbourns Amoy Batavia Noganaki Bombay New York

Osaka Paris Peiping

Calcutta Tuo de Janeiro

Tsinking Karachi Kobe

San Francisco

Seattle

London Los Angeles

Hemarang

Bhanghaf

Manija

Nagaiaki

New York

Our

Osaka

Tokyo Yingkow

Peking

Naroya

Bingapore Sourabay

Hydney Tientsin Traingto

-To-day's Thought- TRUTH is often eclipsed but

nover extinguished.

-LIVY

COUNT THE

Interest allowed on Current Accounts, rates to be obtained on application." LAZARANO, Hongkong, 10th March, 1938.

nepest received for: periode 66 TELEGRAPHS

*1. MARATHI.

EVERYWHERE.

Canton Haiphong Hankow Ilonolulu Кове Kowloon London Manila

Bingaporo

Shanghat

Sourabaya

Bwalow Hydney

Talhoku

Tientsin

Rangoon

Baigon

Tokyo Vancouver

Penang

Ban Francisco Yokohama Seattle

Bemarang

Every description of Banking and Ex- change-business_tranmcted. Loans grant.

ed on approved securities.

Current Accounts opened in Local Cur rency, and Fixed Deposits, received for one year or shorter periods in Local and 17 | Jureign / Currencies on terms, which will

be quoted on application,

Safe Deposit Boxes To Let :

1. KANSTONG PO.

Your

call..

VAT 69 that's fine!

V.A.T. 6.9.

fine!3

of

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