تسلينا
PUBLIC RECORD.OFFICE
6T
Reference :-
C.O.882/11
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
| ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE
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of General Ho Lung and Ip Ting, about whom I shall have more to say below. In the course of their preparations to evacuate the port, the officials of the former (i.e., Cantonese) régime commandeered a Japanese trawler and took from her a certain sum of copper coins. The officials responsible for this seizure were in the act of leaving Swatow by the Chinese torpedo-boat Feiying, when the Senior Japanese Naval Officer on the spot, having failed to obtain satisfaction by peaceful means, stopped the vessel by gunfire and detained her until the coins had been released.
3: I am no advocate of the indiscriminate application of force in China. On the contrary I realise most fully that the world must make room for the legitimate aspirations of the great agglomeration of peoples which we speak of as "China." But these concessions must be made decently and in order; and attempts to cut corners at the expense of the elementary rules of international intercourse must be checked. Arrogance must be met with firmness. It is no mere plati- tude but a hard fact that, if you give an oriental an inch in for- bearance, he will take an ell in insolence. If we had shown the least disposition towards pacificism on the threatened renewal of the boy- cott, the Cantonese Authorities would have welcomed the opportunity of providing doles for importunate patriots" out of the pockets of British merchants. Promptitude and firmness struck down this menace before it gained strength, just as the action taken over the sniping at the 8.8. Lungshan (see my secret despatch of 24th May, 1927") stopped the extension of Yangtsze sniping tactics to the Canton River.
4. An interesting, though presumably unintentional, disclosure of the real aims of those professional boycotters is given in the latest Press report of the Society's activities, which states that it has, or had, formulated a scheme for the issue of permits for British goods on a fixed scale of fees.
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5. I dwell upon this matter with such insistence, because we not yet out of the danger zone. The Chinese have not yet been taught that the so-called "economic weapon," i.e., the anti-foreign boycott, may become a boomerang and hit those who wield it harder than those at whom it is aimed. The threat may, therefore, again be made. on the least provocation, or even without provocation; and I am convinced that our only safe course will be to take prompt and vigor- ous counter-measures, whenever the first sign of an impending anti- British boycott are seen.
General Cheung
6. The Canton position is more obscure than ever. Fat-fui's forces have arrived from the North River and have been welcomed by the city; but whether they bring peace or an attack on the régime of General Li Chai-sum is a matter on which no one seems to have any certain information. One class of rumour states that General Cheung has adhered to the declaration reported in para- graph 2 of my secret despatch of the 1st September,† and placed him- self under the orders of General Li, who will send him to the East River area to combat Generals Ho Lung and Ip Ting. An equally
† No. 22.
* No. 14.
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strong rumour stated that General Cheung insists that General Li shall vacate Kwang-tung either to take up his post in the new Military Council at Nanking or to assume command of Kuangsi, his native province. There seems to be no doubt that General Li's hench- men in the Canton Government are nervous for their posts, including the Treasurer, Mr. Fêng Cho-wan, whose visit to myself was reported in my secret despatch of 20th September*, and I must admit, with regret, that friendliness towards Hong Kong on the part of Cantonese officials is frequently a symptom of insecurity at home. Mr. Liang Shih-yi to-day assured me that General Cheung will remain in Hong Kong for the time being-he is said now to be in Wanchai-and that he will agree to act as General Li's subordinate, but will not go to Canton until the details of what would in effect be a duumvirate have been arranged. But at the moment of writing I am unable to arrive at any clear view of the Canton situation.
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7. As to Swatow, the present facts at any rate are plain. about the 23rd September, the threat to that port by the "communist armies of Generals Ho Lung and Ip Ting, mentioned in paragraph 9 of my last despatch*, took definite shape. The officials and troops owning allegiance to Canton fled in good time and the town was left to the mercy of peasants' and labourers' organisations. Varying tales of looting and extortion have reached this Colony and certain well- known extremists are stated to have reappeared and assumed office. A proclamation in familiar bolshevist terms, issued by these gentry urges the peasants and labourers to unite with the small merchants for the realisation of true revolution. Nevertheless, there is no report of the horrible outrages which accompanied the bolshevist régime in Hunan and elsewhere. This may indicate an underlying scheme be- tween Generals Ho and Ip for co-operation with General Cheung Fat-fui, such as was outlined in paragraph 10 of that despatch. It appears certain that forces, either of General Li or of General Cheung, are moving along the East River towards Swatow as far as the uncertain attitude of the garrison at Waichow will permit: but whether on arrival near Swatow they will attack or fraternize with the troops of Generals Ho and Ip, I cannot even guess.
8. There has been a fresh outbreak of truculence on the part of the "peasant forces" garrisoning the Chinese portion of the village of Sha Tau Kok on the frontier of this Colony. I enclose copies of corre- spondencet dealing with these incidents and can only hope that General Li Fuk-lam will in future, as in the past, retain his place and influ- ence at Canton through all changes of régime.
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9. The incident of the s.8. Tai Ming, reported in paragraph 7 of my last despatch, has decided Mr. Brenan to take up with His Majesty's Minister at Peking, and with this Government the whole question of the use of the. British flag in the inland waters of South China. conference was held at Government House on 16th September, and certain initial action, indicated in the enclosed memorandum,t was agreed upon. The problem is full of difficulties, not the least being the position vis à vis the British Authorities, and especially the Naval
* Q. 30001/27 E. [No. 2]: not printed. + Enclosures 2a, 2b and 2c.
Enclosure 9.