[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.]
From
CHINA,
Decypher.
Sir M. Lampson (Nanking, on tour)
3rd Decembetour30. 3rd December, 1930.
D. 1.45 p.m. 3rd December, 1930.
R. 9.00 a.m. 3rd December, 1930.
No. 250.
My telegram No. 235. 13
Head of Kuanwushu informed me confidentially on
December 2nd that he had hopes that agreement might
soon be revived.
Inner history was that it had been blocked through spite by Cantonese members of Central Executive Committee. When Minister of Finance was recently in
the South he found that extensive smuggling was going
He had at once on through new free port of Chungshan.
ordered institution of customs cordon and had thus severely bumped Canton sentiment. To get back at him Cantonese members of Central Executive Committee who were typically lacking in balance had knocked out Hongkong agreement of which they really knew nothing. He felt fairly optimistic that agreement would be
revived if we let matter rest.
He confirmed that Minister of Finance was greatly
incensed at miscarriage of agreement.
Addressed to Foreign Office No. 250, repeated to
Peking and Hongkong.
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