-
56 -
166
61. On the night of the 30th January Sir M.
Lampson again met Dr. Wellington Koo, who said that
his Cabinet was determined to enforce collection of
the surtaxes by Customs machinery and had that morning
decided to dismiss Sir F. Aglen for not having carried
out their instructions (Peking telegram to Foreign Office No. 212 of 31st January). Next day at 11.30 p.m.
i.e. just on the eve of the time appointed by the mandato
of the 12th January for commencing the collection of the surtaxes (see paragraph 56 supra), the Wai-chiao-pu
telephoned a message from Dr. Koo that Sir F. Aglen
had been dismissed and Mr. Edwardes appointed in his
place (Peking telegram to Foreign Office No.212 of the
31st January). A mandate to this effect was issued in
the Peking Government Gazette of the 1st February.
62.
Next morning the diplomatic body at Peking
met to consider this matter. There was a general
concensus of opinion that the integrity of the Maritime.
Customs was being jeopardized, but no form of action
was agreed upon (Peking telegram to Foreign Office No. 227 of the 2nd February). On the 4th February the
Japanese Ambassador in London, acting on instructions, informed Sir Austen Chamberlain that the Japanese
Government viewed with grave concern the dismissal of
Sir F. Aglen and its effect on the Customs adminis-
tration and on the security of foreign loans to China and had instructed the Japanese Minister at Peking to
support any action proposed by the British Minister (Foreign Office telegram to Peking No.102 of 4th
February).