nfidential.
CANTON.
June 30th 1915.
Dear Sir John Jordan,
There has been a foolish agitation on the
part of a few persons who ought to have known
better to stir up trouble between the British and
Germans on the Concession. A feeling of antipathy
towards Germans in general just now is natural
enough and no doubt very proper, but the dissemina-
tion or reports that local Germans are insulting us
and are going to rise up and murder us is mere fool-
ishness, and I have considered it my duty to dis-
countenance such reports and express my strong dis-
approval thereof on every suitable occasion.
Unfortunately, I have reason to suspect that
this agitation has been supported, if not actually
inspired, by certain of the military authorities
and other persons at Hongkong. I called on the
Governor two or three days ago and informed him of
the facts which had led me to this conclusion and
he said that he would not be at all surprised if my
suspicion were correct. He asked me if I wanted
him to take any action in the matter, but I thought
this
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