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and we adhere as strongly as ever to the view that the proposal would carry with it dangers and disadvantages altogether outweighing the benefits to be derived from a settlement of the boycott. We fear that without this proposal, which we are compelled to regard as impracticable, your counter-proposals would not be attractive.
In these circumstances His Majesty's Government after full consideration propose that answer to Canton Government should be somewhat as follows:-
"Request for enquiry which is entirely new ought to have been made a year ago. His Majesty's Government are surprised that if the facts are considered sufficiently doubtful to call for formal enquiry the Canton authorities should have waited until this late hour before making the suggestion. We have grave doubt whether in view of lapse of time and dispersal of witnesses it would be possible for any enquiry satisfactorily to elicit the facts. But Hie Kajesty's Government have nothing to conceal and therefore, provided that the Canton authorities first remove the anti-British boycott, they will be prepared to take part in the enquiry subject to the French Government also being
willing to participate and to adequate precautions being taken to ensure that the enquiry is completely impartial.
These precautions would include the following stipulations ;
(a) enquiry to be confined solely to ascertainment of
facts of Shameen incident and to be conducted under terma
of reference strictly drawn for this purpuse,
(b) presiding Judge to be national of a Power not represented at Canton and not having substantial interests
in the Province,
(c) foreign Governments to give full facilities to enable their nationals, especially officers in their service,
give evidence."
to
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