but their
Views
f
ר
be modified if
Canton Swatons is
"a blockade" intended to apply only
Sa atid
fr. Commodor HK
Kothinen vince,
tel dated 15 Sept
1
to which For refers.
The chief
Fo
argument
with I expect
on which
to Lang
ふれ
ultimatum:
Khan is
be the lack of a suitable pag
This would not-
stop war like veffilien
evidena Itat lhi Cantoñan
firing
on the Yangtse
and
Lo
addnoad
An
Low ho
Soing any
the fact that
Las been receives
всем в
Kh Canton Tost.
2 noti
ong a few
days ago hardly provides
Larily provides sufficient political
care for the sudden and drastic action recommended.
I sent this on
ав они
in order that
Sirk Grindla
may
(in
morning)
Tomorrow
su how the land ling
are summondo los meeting
Pallets suck
16-9-26
Irer. Amery
268
C
I saw Sir Victor Wellesley at the Foreign Office today. I told him that you were in favour of prompt and drastic action, and that you considered that the time had come to blockade Canton.
Sir V.Wellesley said that the two pegs on which it was proposed to base the ultimatum were quite insufficient to justify strong action. They amounted in the last analysis to no more than that Canton had ́not answered an enquiry as to the views of an
individual, and that the Cantonese were firing on British ships in the Yangtse. The latest information was that such firing had ceased, and as regards the inquiry, how should we be better off if we did get a satisfactory answer?
An ultimatum on these grounds would be seized
on as proof that we were forcing a quarrel on China and might have grave repercussions abroad. It might
be a different matter if Canton had renewed the activities of the pickets, though even then the Foreign Office would be reluctant, I gathered, to agree to a blockade which might lead to very serious results, As things stand, we should, in the Foreign Office view, put ourselves in the wrong.
China has recently become a Member of the Council of the League of Nations and would seize any opportunity to drag us as culprits before the League
if we made any mistake in dealing with her. The
Foreign Office are nervous about an appeal by China to the League, with the possible consequent of our having to "eat dirt" at Geneva.
I