CO537-3705 — Page 129

En clair

OUTWARD TELEGRAM

777

POLITICAL DISTRIBUTION

FROM FOREIGN OFFIC TO NANKING

No. 50

January 20th, 1948.

De 8.31 p.m.

January 20th,

1948.

Repeated to Hong Kong.

Addressed to Manking telegram No. 50 of January 20th repeated for information to Hong Kong.

In reply to a private notice question on January 20th by r. artin Lindsay asking for a statement on the anti- British demonstrations in China, the Minister of State said: -

Demonstrations took place against His Majesty's Consulates-General at Canton on the 16th January and at Shanghai on the following day. In the case of Shanghai measures taken by the Chinese authorities were successful in preventing demonstrators from entering the Consulate grounds. At Canton, however, I regret to say that the crowd, inflamed by tendentious reports concerning the eviction of Chinese squatters from the so-called walled city of Kowloon, broke through the weak guard provided and pillaged and burnt the Consulate-General and adjacent British commercial property, Four British subjects received slight injuries. The Chinese Government issued a statement on 16th January deeply regretting the incidents at Canton and instructing local authorities to accord adequate protection to British Consulates and nationals and to punish the rioters. His Majesty's Ambassador has been instructed to make written representations to the Chinese Government, taking note of the above statement, stressing the gravity of the attack on His Majesty's Consulate- General at Canton and adjacent property and claiming full compensation for all British property destroyed. His Majesty's Ambassador will also demand a public enquiry to establish the identity of the organisers and participants of the attack, the reasons for failure to prevent it and the punishment of all persons found responsible.

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