3.
88
Government would do well to preserve secrecy in this
matter until the day for action arrived, as otherwise
Mr. Lau Cheuk-pan might, while still in occupation, injure
the plant or abscond with the funds of his office. 1
thought it desirable to give this hint, because rumours
of the proposed appointment to this office of a Cantonese
nominee had already got into the Canton vernacular press.
This news must have come to the notice of Mr. Lau and have
been telegraphed by him to Peking, for on the 22nd March,
Mr. Newton, who was acting as Chargé d'Affaires during the absence of Sir Miles Lampson in South China, telegraphed
to me that General Tsao, confidential agent of General
Yang Yu-ting and representating the wai-chiao-pu, had
called on him the previous day and requested him to
telegraph to me to retain Mr. Lau in office. General
Tsao added that General Yang Yu-ting had instructed him to
enquire urgently about a report which had been received
that negotiations between Hong Kong and the Canton
authorities had been proceeding and were on the point of
completion for handing over control of the office to a
nominee of the Canton authorities. Marshal Chang Tso-lin,
he said, was extremely perturbed at this report. Further- more, on the 30th March, Mr. Newton telegraphed to me that
the Wai-chiao-pu had addressed him in an official communication, protesting against the alleged intention to hand over the office to a Canton appointee and requesting the maintenance of the status quo.
4.
Meanwhile, lir. Brenan wrote to me on the
22nd March