14 -
to interfere with the lattor as at prosent administered,
though possible misunderstanding and friction would bc
avoided if Maritime Customs co-operation should be
available in the collection of the new tax by fiscal authorities to be appointed by my Government".
Two days before Colonel F. Hayley-Bell, the Commissioner of
Customs at Canton, had telegraphed to Mr. A.H.F. Ed-
wardes, then acting as Inspector General of Customs at Peking (Sir F. Aglen being on leave in England), that
such a mandate was about to be issued. Mr. Edwardes
in reply instructed the Canton Commissioner not to grant facilities for the collection of the new taxes unless they were internationally accepted or acquiesced in. On the 8th October the Diplomatic body at Peking
met to discuss the situation. The discussion revealed
a full appreciation of the gravity of the issues raised at Canton. The American Chargé d'Affaires stated that he had strongly urged his Government to oppose these taxes: but no one appeared to contemplate the possibility of a resort to force, if a protest proved ineffective. A drafting committee was appointed to prepare a protest (Peking telegram to Foreign Office No. 361 of the 8th. October) but the Ministers rejected the draft prepared by their committee and eventually it was agreed that
the Senior Minister should inform Mr. Edwardes that he
was not in a position to state that the attitude of the Porers towards the taxes would be (Peking telegram to Foreign Office No. 364 of the 8th October).
14. Then came the 10th October, Then the slogan acclaimed at Canton was:- "The boycott is dead. Long
live
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