[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government, and should be returned to the Foreign Office if not required for official use.]
Decode.
From CHINA.
Sir M. Lampson (Peking).
18th April, 1929.
113
D.
6.11 p.m.
18th April, 1928.
R.
9.00 p.m. 20th April, 1928.
No. 317. (R).
Addressed to Hongkong No. 54.
Your telegram No. 12 end your despatch of
March 17th.
I have throughout laid stress here on our
attitude of strict neutrality which Northerners
now understand and regard as reasonable: it would
place me in a false position if we went back on
that now. Handing over office to charge of a
Canton merchant in Hongkong as representative of
Kwangtung government is incompatible with that
attitude and is certainly quite different from
course we discussed and which I agreed to when in
Hongkong namely closing of office or handing over
to cable companies to work temporarily on behalf
of all concerned.
Please repeat to Cant on.
Repeated to Foreign Office No. 317.