139
- 29
simultaneously telegraphed to the senior Consuls at
Canton and at Tsi-nan-fu for necessary action. It
was delivered by the senior Consul at Canton to Comrad.
Λ
Eugene Chiên in a letter dated the 5th November. 01
the same day I again telegraphed to you urging that U
British position should not be compromised by taxation
concessions likely to annoy the other Powers and to
provide further obstacles to co-operation without bring- ing any benefit.
34. In a letter, dated the 8th November, Comrade
Ch'en returned to the senior Consul at Canton the letter
of the 5th November, in which the protest was communi. ---
cated to the Canton Government, saying:- "My Government
does not recognize the existence of the senior Minister of the interested Powers represented at Peking (who
lacks juridical sanction) nor are the status and the relations of the same Powers vis-à-vis my Government
regulated on a basis which can properly entitle them
to raise the question of a "direct violation of treaties'.
I have the honour to add that my Government is ready to discuss this and other questions as and when all or any of the Powers represented at Peking realize that national power and authority has long since ceased to
be exercised in Peking, and that the revolutionary and
constructive forces of Nationalist China have now trans-
ferred this national power and authority to my Governor. Comrade Ch'en's letter has remained unanswered from tho
day to this.
25 At this point in the narrative it is interest-
ing to pause and note how Comrade Ch'en's policy had
succooded