CO129-471 - Public Offices - 1921 — Page 436

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Paraphrase of telegram No. 367 from

Sir 3. Alston (Peking) dated 26th

September.

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With reference to Hongkong telegram to Colonial Office of 25th September, following telegram has been sent to Hongkong.

I have requested that the Governor of Maceo be informed

by Portuguese Minister of importance of preventing any exquae being given to the Chinese Authorities for taking retaliatory measures however provoked, and necessity for quietsning publis opinion. It is impossible to do anything in Peking, the Government being without power, but the British Consul General at Canton is doing everything possible to keep the peace.

The Portuguese Hinister is very agitated and wishes to ask for the help of United States Consul at Canton and has protested formally to the Chinese Government, and I informed him

but that should that if he needed my help he should tell me, hostilities break out, on the subject of Macao, owing to the

action of the Portuguese, he must understand that Great

Britain would not go to war with China on that account.

telegram has been repeated to Canton.

This