CONFIDENTIAL.
The Hong Kong General Defence Committee on
the 18th May, 1927, considered the report, dated
the 16th February, 1927, by the Advisory Committee
on Trading and Blockade in Time of War on the
possibilities of exerting economic pressure on the Nationalist Government of South China. The Governor,
Sir Cecil Clementi, K.C.M.G., was in the chair;
and there were present Major-General C.C. Luard, C.B., C.M.G., Rear-Admiral W.H.D. Boyle, C.B., R.N., Commodore J.L. Pearson, C.M.G., R.N., Mr. W.T. Southorn (Colonial Secretary), Mr. E.D.C. Wolfe (Captain Superintendent of Police) and Major F.C. Roberts, V.C., D.S.0., 0.B.E., M.C., (General
Staff Officer).
The Hong Kong General Defence Committee was unanimously of opinion that, in view of the complete disintegration of China politically at the present time and of the improbability of any political reunification of that country for an indefinite period, the only question for consider- ation is the possibility of exerting economic pressure in each specific region and on each specific occasion where and when anti-British manifestations occur. There is no question of the blockade of China as a whole, for China has broken in picces. There is not even a question of exerting economic pressure "on the Nationalist Government of South China", for no
such
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