CO537-3709 — Page 25

No.101 (335/1030/45)

copied to:

Hong Kong, No.110

Foreign office, 0.323 canton, Io. 78

sir,

E/21 (2)

BRITISH FABASSY

RANKING

20th April, 1948.

In my note No.26 of January 20th I domanded, on the instructions of His Majcsty's Principal Secretary of state for Foreign Affaire, full compensation for all British property destroyed in the anti-British riots which took place at Canton on January 16th. In a note No.Cu Series 37/02016 of January 26th Your Excellency informed me in reply that the chinese Government were investigating the detalls of the incident and that when these details had been ascertained and the responsibility flxed the Chinese Government would seek a reasonable settlement in accordance with International Law,

2.

'n April oth lis Excellency pr. Liu shih-ahun banded to His Majesty's Minister an Aice Manoire which, in so far as the compensation question was concerned, stated that investigations into the rioting had no w been completed and that the facts showed that "the Chinese authorities concerned bad taken what were considered to be the noceulary precautione immediately after the dowloon city incident when they forceaw what might follow in its wake", The Aide Licmoire went on to claim that the Local authorities could not be charged and adced with any lack of due diligence in the antter; that, "in spite of the absence of responsibility on the part of the Chinese Government however the Ministry of Foreign Affairs were prepared to recommend to the Chinese Government an equitable solution to the matter".

3.

i have the honour to inform Your Excellency that i duly communicated the substance of this Aide Menoire to His Majesty'e principal secretary of State for Foreign Affaire. I am now instructed by Liv. Bevin to inform Your Excellency that his Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom ere not prepared to accept any such disclaimer on the part of the Chinese government of responsibility for the incident and resultant damage. It is not clear from the Ministry's Aide kemire whether His Majesty's consul-General at Canton was called by the investigators of the responsibility for the incident to furnich evidence on the matter. Had lie donó co he would certainly ave pointed to a most significant factor viz. that although his chinese Assistant telephoned on Mr. lall's instructions to General Lai, the chief of police at 1.55 pm. or the day of the outrage to request police protection this did not arrive in any force until 3.30 p.m. i.e. two hours later. It was during this interval that the main acts of arson and destruction were perpetrated by the mob. This delay in sending reinforcements which has incidentally already been unde the subject of representations by His Majesty's Consul-gencral at ganton to pr. T.V. soong, would seem eflectively to dispose of the claim that the Chinese (cvernment "hud taken what were considered to be the necessary precautions", though the fact that these Precautions failed to revent the incidents which they

were

His Excellency

Dr. Wang shih-chieh,

Minister for Foreign Affaire,

LANKING

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