- 12 -
4fi
Nanking Government all moneys received, with the exfection of
if this money required for the repayment of foreign loans. order were enforced, a very serious financial situation would have arisen. Fortunately, someone brought the matter to the notice of Chiang Kai-shek, and he at once, on his own responsi- bility, withdrew the order. This is a proof that Chiang Kai- shek, although a military man, understands financial matters a little better than his civilian colleagues, who profess to
know so much. The Peking Government has certainly no idea of dis- turbing the existing order of things in the Customs, and it seems that neither the Nanking nor the Hankow Government wishes to do
so for the present.
Sir Miles Lampson.
a
34. Mr. Liang has met Sir Miles Lampson on many occasions.
He first met him in the 5th or the 6th year of the Republic
when he was travelling in China. When Sir Miles returned from
his visit to Hankow, he (Mr. Liang) advised him to exercise
patience. In about February last, when Mr. Liang expected a
change in the political situation in Canton, he suggested to
Sir Miles to lose no time in apprising Hong Kong and the Consul- General in Canton of the situation, so that they might be pre-
pared to negotiate for/in better and more friendly understanding
with the Canton authorities. He also told Sir Miles that Canton
seemed to him to be the most peaceful province in China when
compared with the other provinces. He thought that Hu Han-min
and his associates would like to come back to Kwongtung. They hankered after a place in Kwongtung as an opium-smoker hankers after his pipe. But they must not be permitted to come back and make trouble again. The speaker also expressed to Sir Miles the view that Hong Kong should help and co-operate with Li Tsi-
hsin. This conversation took place before Sir Miles went to