B
and I should say, the chairmanship of British
delegation desirable. The Governor Hongkong has,
I am sure, full confidence in him,
It is considered here quite possible that
Chiang Kaishek hopes by effecting settlement to
devote all his attention to more energetic military
measures and propaganda against Hunan and/or lower
Yangtze but I venture to urge that procedure for
negotiations with Kwangtung, where immediate vital
interests are at stake, should not be subordinated
to the exigences of nebulous and shifting political
situation with centre and north of China, With
reference to para reph 2 of your telegram comperi-
sion between attitude of a civil government or
a military dictatorship in Carton seems to us here
a very speculative basis for policy.
My advice is based on firm conviction
that protection of British interests in China must
inevitably and increasingly depend, with or without
approval by His Majesty's Government, on direct
relations with the provinces rather than with a
succession of phantom governments in Peking, but
I should havo hesitated to express this unorthodox
view unless I had found warm support for it with
His Majesty's Consul General Shanghal, Canton and
with the Governor of Hongkong.
Repeated to Foreign Office No. 25 and
Hongkong.
56