[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government, and should be returned to the Foreign Office if not required for official use.
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CHINA.
Decypher.
Sir R. Macleay (Peking).
24th March, 1926.
D.
R.
8.20 p.m. 24th March, 1926.
7.25 p.m. 24th March, 1926.
No. 129.
...
Your telegram No. 101.
While I fully agree that His Majesty's Government would be entirely justified in presenting to Canton government, no matter what their constitutional status, note outlined in Governor of Hong Kong's telegram of March 4th and while I concur in modifications in the note suggested in paragraphs numbered 1 and 2 of your telegram, I venture to doubt both wisdom of such a step and whether we should derive any tactical advant- age from it having regard to possible future negotia- tions with Canton or Peking.
It appears to me that it would be useless and eveu unwise to send in such a note of protest demanding lifting of boycott and punishment of the guilty and threatening to hold Canton government responsible for losses sustained by the colony unless we are prepared, in the event of our receiving an unsatisfactory answer comprising possibly counter-claim for victims of Shanghai shooting, to follow up note with direct pressure and forcible action. This I understand we are not prepared to do unless on the (I fear) doubtful hypothesis that we can secure co-operation of other
powers