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2
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151
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Rear-Admiral force Yangtsze saved a disastrous situation.
The British forces available here were utterly inadequate
to keep the Concession for any length of time and if employe
ed now to retake the Concession by force would create
similar situation immediately with the alternative of
another humiliating retirement or firing followed by speedy
evacuation equally humiliating and most hazaedous to the
lives of more than 600 Missionaries and others now moving
slowly to safety through Szechwan, Hunan and Hupeh and will
be playing into the hands of Extremists (?) if prestige is
to be recovered it must be done later at a time chosen by
us when adequate forces can be made available to make quite
certain of complete success and when the certain result boycott can be replied to by prompt and effective blockade
but to court failure by such policy now will be merely
further disastrous blow to prestige and would worsen the
situation from every point of view. Therefore the present
policy must be to poi compromise by negotiations, throwing
on the Nationalist Goverment the onus of fulfilling their
undertaking to preserve law and order and taking a joint with Sine-British Council under the Chinese Government katxthey
representations to the Nationalist Government that they
are testing the case in the eyes of the world for their
ability to afford adequate protection and justice to
Foreign life, property and trade. We do not anticipate that British trade will be able to function permanently
under such and arrangement but the remedy can only be
applied later. Meantime the Nationalist Government is
likely to make a genuine endeavour to control the Communists
on account of their very early need of funds. The question
of the date of resumption of British business here must
be left entirely to the decision of Mr. O'Malley who will
choose the moment that best fits in with his negotiation."
Mr. Humphrys' message to Sir Robert Waley Cohen.
ends