ECRET
CABINET 7 (27)
Extract from Conclusions of a Meeting held at 10 Downing Street, Friday, 4th February, 1927, at 1130.a.m.
25 135
CHINA
(Previous Reference
Cabinet 6 (27) Conclusion 1.
5. The Cabinet had under consideration the
situation arising out of the approach to Hong Kong
of the transports conveying the first part of the
Indian mixed brigade destined for Shanghai.
The discussion on this question lasted from
11.30. a.m. to 1.30. p.m., and approximately from
3.45. until 5.45.p.m. During the discussion the
Prime Minister read a letter from the Chancellor of
the chequer setting forth his views.
The situation before the Cabinet was as follows:
The first transports have been ordered by the
Secretary of State for War, instead of proceeding
direct to Shanghai, to call for orders at Hong-Kong,
where they are due to arrive on Sunday, February 6th.
An urgent question arises, therefore, as to whether
they should proceed to Shanghai or not. On this
point the information before the Cabinet was as
follows:-
(1) From a purely military point of view there was no
evidence of imminent danger to Shanghai, whether from
an attack by the Cantonese forces, or from the arrival
there of a rabble of defeated soldiery. In this
respect the immediate danger appeared to be no greater
than when the decision was reached to send troops to
Shanghai, while the approach of the forces ordered
out for the defence of the settlement safeguarded the
future.
(2) From the point of view of internal security
against ob violence the particulars in Appendix II
(furnished to the Foreign Office by the General Staff)
indicate