SECRET
CABINET 3(27)
Conclusions of a Meeting held at 10 Downing Street, on Friday, January 21st, 1927, at 3.0.p.m.
13
166
CHINA
(Previous Reference: Cabinet 2 (27) Con- clusion 2.)
The Cabinet had before them a Report by
the Chiefs of Staff Sub-Committee of the Committee of
Imperial Defence, on the Defence of Shameen, dated
January 16, 1927 (Paper C.P.16(27)), with a Note by
the Secretary explaining that, in view of the urgency
of the question, instructions to the Acting Consul-
General at Canton and to the Naval, Military and Civil
authorities at Hong Kong, had been te le graphed on the
authority of the Prime Minister and the Ministers
concerned.
For the benefit of Ministess who had not been
present at the previous meetings of the Cabinet on
this subject, the Secretary of State for Foreign
Affairs Fave a full summary of the recent decisions
and the circumstances in which they had been made. Sir
Austen Chamberlain informed his colleagues that on
Wednesday, January 19th, after consultation with the
Prime Minister, the Secretary of State for War and the
Secretary of State for the Colonies, he had sent a
telegram to Tokyo (No.13) instructing the Ambassador to
explain to the Japanese Government the considerations
of time and space which (more especially in the absence
of knowledge as to the intentions of the Japanese
Government) compel the British Government to take
decisions before matters might appear urgent to the
Japanese Government, who are so much closer to the
danger zone. He had pressed for a reply regarding
Japanese intentions within 48 hours, which would expire
at 7-15 the same evening. At the same time, in view
of information as to the hesitating attitude of the
Japanese