3026
these heads the Foreign Office asked one or more questions, to which replies were urgently desired from Sir R.Macleay, Sir James Jamieson and myself, in order to answer expected
criticism in Parliament, which was due to meet on the
2nd February.
3.
97
Mr. Fitzmaurice, with whom I had an
interview on the 3rd February, was obliged to return to Canton on the following morning. But on the afternoon of the 4th February I had a conference at Government House with the following gentlemen:- ur. 0.8.0'Malley, newly appointed Counsellor of H.M.Legation at Peking: Mr. S.Barton, H.M.Consul General at Shanghai, then on a visit to me; Mr. E.R.Hallifax, acting Colonial Secretary; Mr. J.H.Kemp, Attorney General; and Mr. D.W.Tratman, acting Secretary for Chinese Affairs. After very full discussion of the questions asked by the Foreign Office, we all concurred in the telegram which I despatched to you on the 6th February, and of which I have also sent copies to H.M.Minister at Peking and H.M.Consul General
at Canton.
4.
italy
fei
ACTUAL HOSTILITIES.- The first objection suggested in the Foreign Office telegram to a resort to force is that it would involve "recognition of an independent Canton Government and under the head of "conciliation" the Foreign Office telegram again reverts to this point saying:- "There is also the fiction that Peking controls canton, and it must be carefully considered whether the time is not near at hand, when this fiction should be abandoned: its effect seems to be merely to hamper our action at Canton, whether friendly
or hostile". On this point I may remark that for several months past there have been direct dealings with the Canton Government of today both by the Hongkong Government and by H. M. Consul General at Canton, and to that extent it has already been
XC 2226/26 printed
recognized