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Code telegram to Sir R, Macleay (Peking)
Foreign Office, 2nd October 1923, 6.15 p.m.
No. 178. (R).
Your telegram No.228 (of 22nd September
Canton government's application for share of customs
funds.)
-
In the event of danger of forcible interfer-
ence by Canton with the customs service becoming
serious, you should follow action authorised on two
previous occasions - see Peking telegram No.757 and
Foreign office telegram No.484 of 1918 and Feking
telegram No.171 of 1919. The threat will probably
suffice, but you should make similar arrangements
to those made by Sir J. Jordan for eventual action
direct with Hongkong and naval authorities.
The
Colonial Office and Admiralty are being informed.
The matter has been mentioned to Sir F. Aglen
who concurred in measures (1), (2) and (4) but con-
sidered (3) undesirable and to be avoided if possible.
He fears that seizure of customs house on Chinese
soil would be a false step, and he would prefer to
evacuate it in last resort and transfer its business
to foreign settlement. He states that decisive
factor on previous occasion was the arrival of several
foreign warships at Canton, at the critical moment.
If you can confirm this, similar demonstration might
be useful now.
While,
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