Secret
CABINET 5(27
Extract from Conclusions of a Meeting held at 10 Downing Street, on Wednesday, February 2nd, 1927, at 11.30. a.m.
2
148
CHINA.
(Previous Reference: Cabinet 4 (27) Con- clusion 1.)
1. The Cabinet had before them a
Memorandum by the Chief of the Air Staff on
the subject of the provision of aircraft in
China (Paper C.P.23 (27)).
The Secretary of State for Foreign
Affairs rend to the Cabinet a telegram just
received from Mr. O'Malley, Hankow, dated
February 1, 1927, (No.36) reporting that
Eugene Chen had refused to sign any agreement
about Hankow and Kiu Kiang unless we refrained
from landing a military force in Shanghai.
Sir Austen Chamberlain had not yet had an
opportunity to consult his Department about this
telegram, and the actual terms of Eugene Chen's
statement were contained in a previous telegran
from Mr.O'Malley which had not yet arrived.
In the circumstances, the Cabinet
agreed
To consider all questions relating to China the same afternoon at 3.30.