112
212
Instead of Mr. Chan Affairs, proposed to state the Canton case. Kung Pok [Chinese characters], who had been nominated as one of the delegates for the Canton Government, there had been sub- stituted Mr. Ku Mang Yü [Chinese characters], who was formerly Dean of Peking University.
3. Mr. Ku is stated to be a member of the Central Executive Committee of the Kwok Man Tong, but I have been unable as yet to find out more about his official position, or his antecedents. I understand that he is not a Cantonese, and that he came to Canton about two months ago.
213
2. You will observe from these documents that the first and second meetings of the Conference have apparently been used by Mr. Eugene Ch'ên, who is by profession a journalist, merely as a convenient means for broadcasting his peculiar form of propaganda.
I have, &c.,
C. CLEMENTI,
Governor, &c.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
༄།།
Reference :-
C.O.882/11
C 16355/26.
I have, &c.,
C. CLEMENTI,
Governor, &c.
No. 27.
The Governor of Hongkong to the Secretary of State for the Colonies.
Secret.
SIR,
(Received 23rd August, 1926.)
Government House, Hongkong, 19th July, 1926.
With reference to my despatch No. 327 of the 16th July, 1926,*- reporting the commencement of the Boycott Conference at Canton, I have the honour to forward for your information the following documents which have been sent to me by Mr. E. R. Halifax :-
(a) Notes of the first meeting of the Conference† on the 16th July;
(b) Communiqué issued jointly by the Chinese and British delegates on the 15th July;
(c) Notes of the second meeting of the Conference§ on the 16th July:
(d) Speech delivered by Mr. Eugene Ch'ên at the second meeting of the Conference on the 16th July.
ENCLOSURE 1 IN No. 27. -
NOTES OF PROCEEDINGS. No 1.
Thursday, 15th July, 1926.
The first meeting was arranged for 12 noon on the 15th July, 1926, cars, carrying the Foreign Office Flag and an armed escort, were sent to the French Bridge for the British delegation.
We were met at the Foreign Office by the Chinese delegation, and the proceedings opened by Mr. Ch'ên Yu-jen proposing that, while the Conference should be carried on, he wished to make his At the conclusion opening speech standing up, and this he did.
he referred to the question of secretaries, and it was decided that secretaries should not be present; by this it appeared to be meant that verbatim reports of the discussions should not be taken. A Chinese secretary sat behind Mr. Ch'ên, and he seemed to have great difficulty in hearing what was said.
The question of issuing communiqués was referred to, and it. was decided to issue an agreed communiqué, both sides reserving the right to publish any additions they pleased.
The first formal meeting was fixed for 10.30 a.m. on the 16th July, when Mr. Ch'ên was to put the case from the Chinese side. He stated it would be in writing, and that copies would be avail- able, and remarked in passing that the Chinese would not be looking for recognition through any back door. He ended by inviting the British delegation to dine with the Chinese delegation at Pak Hok Tong, where the Canton Government had leased a house to which he referred as the Canton "Chequers."
The meeting then adjourned until 10.30 a.m. on the 16th July. The British delegation dined with the Chinese delegation at Chequers," the entertainment, excellently and most tactfully carried out, being on European lines throughout. Bodyguards were much in evidence throughout the day.
J
• No. 26.
+ Enclosure 1.
Enclosure 2.
Enclosure 3.
Enclosure 4.
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
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