83
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O.882/11
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
|ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO
154
Russia to the Canton Government. The records of the Canton Government accounted only for 20,000 rifles. Inquiries showed that the balance had been secreted by Russian and Chinese Com- munists in Canton and that some had been issued secretly by these Communists to gunboats, strike pickets and labour units who declared for communism. It would appear that the Russian successor to Borodin (whose name I have not so far discovered) plotted with Remy, the Russian head of aviation in Canton, and certain Chinese Communists to call upon General Cheung Kai- Shek and the Canton Government to declare communism in Kuang-tung and that these 40,000 rifles were held in readiness for the purpose of overthrowing the present régime in Canton, after which the Canton Strike Committee and the Communists would seize the reins of Government. General Cheung Kai-shek forestalled this plan. On the night of the 19th-20th March his troops surrounded the strike headquarters. A search produced 4,000 rifles. The strike leaders and sundry Kussians have been arrested and the Russian headquarters at Tung-shan, near the Canton terminus of the railway from Canton, were searched. It is said that General Cheung Kai-shek, supported by many of the principal officials in the Canton Council of Government, has now decided to drive all Russians and Communists out of Canton by force and that a telegram has been sent by the Canton Govern- ment to Mr. Sun Fo at Shanghai requesting his immediate return to Canton. It is well known that Mr. Sun Fo is anti-Russian in his political opinions.
5. The time, therefore, seems opportune for making a déter- mined effort to settle the anti-British boycott in Kuang-tung and to endeavour to substitute British for Russian influence in that province. Accordingly I telegraphed to you yesterday* to know whether H.M's Government approve of negotiations by this Government with Canton on the lines indicated in para- I have graphs 9-11 of my secret despatch of the 8th March†. to-day received your telegraphic reply to the effect that you are in consultation with the Foreign Office and will endeavour to reply as soon as possible.
DEAR MR. CLEMENTI,
I have, &c.,
C. CLEMENTI,
Governor, &c.
ENCLOSURE 1 IN No. 14.
Canton, 22nd March, 1926.
I appreciate and am grateful for your sincerity as made known to me by Dr. To Ying-kwan. With complete sincerity on both sides a successful issue must be easy. If Your Excellency will appoint Mr. Hallifax (the Colonial Secretary), Mr. Kemp (the
C8379/265; not printed.
• C6750/28S; not printed. ↑ No. 12.
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Attorney-General) and Mr. Tratman (the Secretary for Chinese Affairs) to come (to Canton), we here will appoint Member of the Council of Government and Minister of Finance, Mr. Sung Tsz-man (Member of the Council of Government and Mayor of Canton City), Mr. C. C. Wu (Wu Chiu-shu) and Mr. Ch'an Kung- pok (head of the Bureau of Agriculture and Labour for Kuang- tung) to receive and negotiate fully with them in all sincerity. Any other points will be communicated verbally by Dr. To. Excuse my not going into details here.
With compliments,
ENCLOSURE 2 IN No. 14.
WONG SHIU Ming.
10, Lyttleton Road, Hongkong, 24th March, 1926.
His Excellency Sir Cecil Clementi.
SIR,
I have the honour to lay before Your Excellency a report of my mission to Canton to see Mr. Wong Ching-wai, the Chairman of the National Government of Two Kwongs.
I was instructed by Your Excellency to express on Your Excel- lency's behalf the sincerity of the Hongkong Government to effect a settlement of the strike and boycott against Hongkong to Mr. Wong Ching-wai. The following were the important points which Your Excellency instructed me to lay before Mr. Wong Ching-wai for, consideration and definite answer in writing to Your Excellency :-
(1) That Hongkong Government will appoint Hon. Mr. E. R. Hallifax (the Colonial Secretary), Hon. Mr. J. H. Kemp (Attorney-General), and Hon. Mr. D. W. Tratman (the Secretary for Chinese Affairs) as official delegates, while Canton Government will at the same time appoint three officials of equal standing to negotiate for a settlement of the strike and boycott against Hongkong, but neither side will be held as principals nor mediators in the matter.
(2) The Hongkong officials will not negotiate directly with the strikers but through the Canton official delegates.
(3) The meeting-place prefers to be at Hongkong or Macao, but if Canton Government insists that it should be held at Canton, Your Excellency will have no objection.
(4) When official negotiation takes place, the British Consul at Canton will be present but will not take part in the discussion, and the negotiation does not imply an attempted settlement to end the strike or boycott against Shameen.
(5) Mr. Wong Ching-wai will write a letter personally to Your Excellency to invite the Hongkong officials to go up to Canton for negotiation, if Mr. Wong Ching-wai accepts the above proposals.