Γ
i
OTH
K
3.
502
was in reality the coercion of the pickets, who were decidedly in the minority. Further, the action was not punitive or agressive and would have strengthened the hands of the Canton Authorities, who inwardly would have welcomed such action as tending to save their face and extricate them from an unenviable position.
12.
In the event of the Insect Class Gunboats failing to pass Money Penny Creek, it would have been necessary for them to proceed past the Danes Island Defences.
These vessels would have been proceeding down river and in the reverse direction for which the forts were primarily designed. Their passage would have been made at full speed proceeding with the stream, covered by smoke screens and aided by aircraft diversion.
Plans to cover this operation from the air had been drawn up by H.M.S. "VINDICTIVE".
Operations (b) and (c) were designed, merely in support of (a).
13.
14.
In considering these measures it was accepted that if real resistence was made the whole scheme would have failed, and the situation may have become unmanage- able and difficult.
To those present however it was obvious that such was most unlikely and improbable, and that the general feeling would have been one of thnkfulness for deliverance rather than the reverse. If these had been any suspicion that matters would not proceed as anticipated, such measures could not have been recommend- ed. In all war or coercion there must be generally an element of risk, but the degree of risk and the value of the objectives are the deciding factors when recommending action. That this risk would have been justified is proved by subsequent results as lir. Eugene Chen's letter of the 18th September, 1925, proposing to end the boycott, and the actual ending of the boycott was only prompted by the belief that matters were not to be allowed by us to remain as they were, and that further action, additional to that on 4th September, 1926, was pending. With this knowledge, backed by the approaching arrival of reinforcements and local propaganda, he induced this colleagues and the Strike Committee to agree to the termination of the boycott.