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A
Majesty's Government to lead them beyond the particular
Customs issue into siding with them in their difficulties
with Canton, and took strong exception to any suggestion
for a peaceful blockade of Canton with the object of
bringing the anti-British boycott to an end. In view of this
statement, it would, in Sir Austen chamberlain's opinion,
be impracticable to attempt, as suggested in the telegrams
from the Governor of Hongkong of February 23rd and 26th,
enclosed in your letters 4511/26 of February 25th, and
C 4781/1926 of February 27th, to refuse to regard the
Customs incident as closed and to use it in order to enlist
the support of the Powers in fighting the anti-British
boycott. It would be wiser, therefore, to keep the two
issues strictly separate and Sir Austen Chamberlain
regards it, in fact, as a matter for congratulation that the
Customs incident was satisfactorily closed before it could
raise other and more dangerous issues and lead possibly to
a disintegration of the Customs administration. He hopes,
however, that it has served to weaken the authority and to
lower the prestige of the Strike Committee, and that in
this way the end of the boycott may have been brought
appreciably nearer.
I am,
Sir.
Your obedient Servant,
Gengs Mounsey