1
Paraphrase telegram from the Governor of Hong Kong to the Secretary of State for the Colonies, dated 20th September,1926
(Received Colonial Office 1.45 a.m. 20th September, 1926).
VERY URGENT.
239
Secret Canton Situation.
No. 15 and Commander in Chief.
Repeated to Peking
Please see telegram from His Majesty's Consul General Canton to Foreign Office dated September 18th.
I do not share the confidence expressed by H.. Consul General that the Canton Government are sincere. Or
the contrary I am convinced that Eugene Chen is merely playing for time doubtless realising the dangers of his position. October 10th is the commemoration day of the
outbreak of the first Chinese revolution in 1911 and why
should it be necessary to postpone settlement of the boycott
until then when there can be no material difference in the
financial situation of the Goverment in the interval
between then and now.
On the Yengtee the Cantonese find themselves in a
precarious military situation; even at Canton the position of Eugene Chen himself is not too secure and he like his
predecessor C. C. Tu may have to run away by October 10th.
As to the firing on British shipping at Hankow
the official reply sent by Eugene Chen on September14th to Brennan's note of September 10th reads somewhat as follows "The matter has already been reported to the Nationelist
Government who have been requested to telegraph to General Chiang Kai Shek at uchang in order that suitable
action may be taken".
Not