!

Copy

CONFIDENTIAL

E.M.Consul-General, Shanghai, to E.E.Chargé d'Affaires,

Feking.

No. 19.

and 3 copies.)

sir,

H.B.. Consulate-General,

Shanghai,

January 22nd, 1923.

150

In continuation of my despatch No.12 of the 17th instant,

I have the honour to report that Mr. Eugene Ch'en called again

on the 19th instant.

He stated that he had informed Dr.Sun of the result of

his interview with me on the 11th instant. Dr.Sun had

intimated that it was out of the question for him to proceed

to Feking in view of the risk of an attempt being made on his

life if he did so; he was still considering the question of

continuing his reunification pourparlers with Wu F'el-fu, but

in the meantime the situation at Canton was becoming serious

owing to the lack of a recognised leader and one of the

Generals there was already shewing signs of insubordination.

Dr. Sun was apprehensive that if he returned to Canton

without an assurance of better relations with Hongkong,

trouble might result and he might be driven to seek a

rapprochement with some other Fower.

Alluding to press reports of Dr. Sun's relations with

Monsieur Joffe, the Soviet Envoy, who arrived at Shanghai on

the 17th instant, Mr. Ch'en said that Dr. Sun held that it was

essential for China, owing to her weakness, to come to terms

with her neighbour the Soviet Government, but this did not

imply that Dr. Sun himself was a convert to Communism.

true that many important members of the Kuomintang were in

sympathy with Bolshevik ideals, but Dr. Sun's relations with

Monsieur Joffe implied nothing more than a natural desire not

R.F. Clive, Esq.,C.M.C.,

His Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires,

to/

It was

FEK ING.