CO885-11 — Page 111

111

سائسس

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

गय

Reference :-

61

C.O.882/11

|ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

C 15385/26.

210

No. 25.

The Governor of Hongkong to the Secretary of State for the Colonies.

Secret.

SIR,

(Received 6th August, 1926.)

Government House, Hongkong, 3rd July, 1926.

In continuation of my secret despatch of the 2nd July* on the subject of the boycott negotiations, I have the honour to enclose copy of a letter dated 29th June from Mr. Ch'ên Yu-jen to Mr. J. F. Brenan. Neither Mr. Brenan nor I like the form in which Mr. Ch'ên ends his letter: "I am, etc., etc., etc., etc." How- ever, Mr. Ch'ên explained to Mr. Brenan verbally that the usual termination" had no meaning for him," but that he would make a change in subsequent correspondence. In the circumstances it did not seem worth while to press this point further; but you will recollect that the form of correspondence between British Consuls and Chinese officials has been the subject of a special protocol designed to secure equality of treatment. (Please see Hertslet China Treaties, Vol. I., p. 81.)

2. Mr. Brenan also inquired at an interview with Mr. Ch'en the reason for the delay in beginning the negotiations: but the latter merely said that he required time to prepare the Chinese

I have, &c.,

case.

SIR,

+

C. CLEMENTI,

Governor, &c.

ENCLOSURE IN No. 25.

REPUBLIC OF CHINA.

NATIONALIST GOVERNMENT.

MINISTRY OF FOREIGN Affairs.

Canton, 29th June, 1926.

I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your letter dated 25th June, in reply to my note requesting information as to the precise character and the powers of your delegation.

↑ Enclosure.

* C 15386/26; not printed..

211

a

I understand your letter to mean that your delegation as whole will represent both His Britannic Majesty's Government and the Government of Hongkong, and will be competent to discuss and deal with all questions to arise in the course of the negotiations whose determination shall be necessary for a mutually satisfactory settlement of the anti-British trouble as expressed in the Canton-Hongkong strike and the anti-British boycott in the Province.

In confirming my verbal statement to you that my Government has appointed Mr. T. V. Soong, Mr. K. P. Chen and myself as its delegates with full powers, I have to inform you that arrange- ments are being made for the negotiations to begin on 15th July at the Foreign Office here.

I am, etc., etc., etc., etc.,

CH'EN YU-JEN,

Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs.

J. Fitzgerald Brenan, Esquire,

H.B.M. Acting Consul-General,

The Shameen.

C 16185/26.

No. 26.

The Governor of Hongkong to the Secretary of State for the Colonies.

(Received 20th August, 1926.)

Government House, Hongkong, 16th July, 1926.

No. 327.

SIR,

With reference to my despatch No. 320 of the 13th July, 1926,* I have the honour to state that the two Hongkong delegates, Mr. Kemp and Mr. Halifax, proceeded to Canton on the 14th July to take part in the negotiations for the settlement of the boycott arranged to begin on the 15th July.

2. On the evening of the 15th July, I received a telegram from Mr. Halifax to the effect that the first meeting had been held at noon that day, and was merely formal. At the meeting to be held on the 16th, Mr. Eugene Ch'ên, the Minister for Foreign

* C 10189:26; not printed.