CO129-427 - Public Offices - 1915 — Page 134

nfidential.

CANTON.

June 30th 1915.

Dear Sir John Jordan,

There has been a foolish agitation on the

part of a few persons who ought to have known

better to stir up trouble between the British and

Germans on the Concession. A feeling of antipathy

towards Germans in general just now is natural

enough and no doubt very proper, but the dissemina-

tion or reports that local Germans are insulting us

and are going to rise up and murder us is mere fool-

ishness, and I have considered it my duty to dis-

countenance such reports and express my strong dis-

approval thereof on every suitable occasion.

Unfortunately, I have reason to suspect that

this agitation has been supported, if not actually

inspired, by certain of the military authorities

and other persons at Hongkong. I called on the

Governor two or three days ago and informed him of

the facts which had led me to this conclusion and

he said that he would not be at all surprised if my

suspicion were correct. He asked me if I wanted

him to take any action in the matter, but I thought

this

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