+
3.
out of the fire it was explained that we were not in this instance invoking assistance of heads of missions over any particular difficulty of our own but were endeavouring to secure solidarity of action in the interests of maintenance of authority of customs against illegal strike committee; that all that was required at present was passive action of carrying out our treaty obligations vis-a-vis Chinese government and that we should in this way check harmful activities of strike committee so far as concerned customs and prevent a far more serious situation arising, namely establishment of a separate strike custom house.
In the end it was decided to try and prepare draft to Wai Chiao-pu which all the heads of missions would be able to subscribe to end if agreement could be reached to telegraph to consular body at Canton in a similar sense,
Result of our representations cannot be con- sidered at all satisfactory and I fear little can be accomplished here without vigorous representations
direct to goverments concerned. No telegram has been received from Canton consular body as a whole
and I assume that His Majesty's Consul-General is
meeting similar lukewarm support locally.
At meeting Germen representative stated that he
was