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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O.882/11
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
| ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-| COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO
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policy for relief of Canton situation. Arrangements might also be made for more speedy and satisfactory interchange of news between Peking, Hongkong, Canton and Foreign Office. It may be the case that no such policy now appears feasible. If so, it is desirable that we should have a reasoned presentation of sound arguments in support of that view. We have not sufficient infor- mation to enable us to decide upon any forward policy: in present circumstances, too, our present policy of inaction might be hard to defend. It is probable that we may be pressed when Parlia- ment reassembles, and we wish to be in a position to meet Please repeat to expected criticism with a convincing case. Canton.-MacLEAY.
C6197/26S.
No. 7.
The Governor of Hongkong to the Secretary of State for the Colonies.
Secret.
SIR,
(Received 17th March, 1926.)
Government House, Hongkong, 10th February, 1926.
On the afternoon of the 3rd February, Mr. N. Fitzmaurice, H.M. Vice-Consul at Canton, arrived in Hongkong and handed me the following documents, copies of which I enclose :--
(a) telegram No. 8 from H.M. Minister at Peking to H.M. Consul-General at Canton, dated 31st January;
(b) telegram No. 9 from H.M. Minister at Peking to H.M. Consul-General at Canton, dated 31st January;
(c) telegram No. 10 from H.M. Minister at Peking to H.M. Consul-General at Canton, dated 1st February;
(d) telegram No. 5 from H.M. Consul-General at Canton to Foreign Office, dated 2nd February.
2. It appears from these telegrams that the Foreign Office, having received a copy of my telegram to you dated the 26th January* (please see also my secret despatch of same datet), classified the methods so far suggested for solving the very difficult problem, presented by the anti-British boycott in the Kuang-tung Province, under five heads, viz., (a) actual hostilities; (b) blockade; (c) assistance to anti-Red leaders; (d) pressure on Under each of these heads the Moscow; and (e) conciliation.
Foreign Office asked one or more questions, to which replies were urgently desired from Sir R. Macleay, Sir James Jamieson and myself, in order to answer expected criticism in Parliament, which was due to meet on the 2nd February.
•C 2166/26; not printed.
† No. 6.
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3. Mr. Fitzmaurice, with whom I had an interview on the 3rd February, was obliged to return to Canton on the following morn- ing. But on the afternoon of the 4th February I had a confer- ence at Government House with the following gentlemen:-Mr. O. S. O'Malley, newly-appointed Counsellor of H.M. Legation at Peking; Mr. S. Barton, H.M. Consul-General at Shanghai, then on a visit to me; Mr. E. R. Hallifax, acting Colonial Secre- tary; Mr. J. H. Kemp, Attorney-General; and Mr. D. W. Tratman, acting Secretary for Chinese Affairs. After very full discussion of the questions asked by the Foreign Office, we all concurred in the telegram which I despatched to you on the 6th February, and of which I have also sent copies to H.M. Minister at Peking and H.M. Consul-General at Canton.
Actual Hostilities.
4. The first objection suggested in the Foreign Office telegram to a resort to force is that it would involve "recognition of an independent Canton Government "; and under the head of "con- ciliation" the Foreign Office telegram again reverts to this point, saying: There is also the fiction that Peking controls Canton, and it must be carefully considered whether the time is not near at hand when this fiction should be abandoned; its effect seems to be merely to hamper our action at Canton, whether friendly or hostile." On this point I may remark that for several months past there have been direct dealings with the Canton Government of to-day both by the Hongkong Government and by H.M. Consul-General at Canton, and to that extent it has already been recognised. The de facto Canton Government does not, however, take orders either from Peking or from any other part of China ; and it can properly be regarded as a Government which has rebelled against Peking: Nevertheless its aim is not to make the province of Kuang-tung into an independent republic. contrary its ambition is to impose Cantonese rule on the rest of China; and it has recently invaded, and may, according to informa- tion recently received from H.M. Consul at Swatow, now again be engaged in invading the province of Fukien with a view, if successful, to an attack on Shanghai and after that on Peking. It does not wish to dismember the Eighteen Provinces, but rather
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On the
to unify them under its own form of Government. We note that Sir James Jamieson suggests in his reply to the Foreign Office that the
experiment might be tried of offering independent But we do not agree recognition to the Canton Government." with this suggestion, because such recognition would certainly cause offence to Chinese leaders in central and northern China and, while antagonising our Chinese friends, it would not placate our Chinese enemies, who would proclaim it as a victory and con- strue it as another sign of British weakness and irresolution. Moreover, such action would certainly have a very bad effect in Hongkong. We do not, however, consider that hostile opera- tions by Great Britain in Kuang-tung would be a recognition of It would only be the an independent Canton Government. restoration of law and order in the rebellious Kuang-tung Pro vince by British force on behalf of the impotent Peking Govern-
ment.
*C 3026/26; not printed.
H