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ourselves, might be expected to continue so long as the
extremist section of the Kuo-min-tang, supported by the
Bolshevists remained in power. If the Southerners
succeeded in their campaign in central China, the mask
would doubtless be throm off, and we might expect an
intensive attack on foreign treaties and on the Mari-
time Customs. If the Northerners succeeded, more
moderation would probably be shown and there would not
be the same determination to destroy treaties and
undermine the Customs organization. In either event,
we considered the only safe course was to protest at
once emphatically against the new taxes and the attempt
to duplicate Customs functions.
The protest should be
supported by a show of force in concert with the other
Powers, especially Japan, the United States and France.
We strongly urged joint action; but failing that, we
considered independent action by Great Britain to be
necessary. We further considered that tacit acquies-
cence in the new taxation or a protest unsupported by
a show of force would merely aggravate the dangers of
the situation and confront us later on with both the
new taxes and a renewed boycott, as well as with dup-
licated Customs organization. These views were held
by the Executive Council with unanimity and I tele-
graphed to you in this sense on the 28th October.
25. Next day the diplomatic body again met at
Peking and Sir R. Macleay explained to the meeting
the view of His Majesty's Government to be that, be-
fore any united protest was made, the consuls at Canton,
either jointly or individually, should endeavour to
induce the Canton Government to entrust the whole
collection
131