CO129-471 - Public Offices - 1921 — Page 670

3929/3510/10)

Paraphrase

of telegram No. 339 to Sir B. Alston (Peking)

dated November 4th 1921.

Imediate

Macao question (Peking telegram 389)

Directly we can obtain the acquiescence

of the departments interested we intend to pursue the

following line, having in view Portugal's treaty claims.

upon us and the intransigeant standpoint taken up by the

Chinese.

(1) We think the men on the spot must settle the

affair of September 16th; but steps will be taken to

show the Chinese quite clearly that no biassed and one

sided settlement is possible and that if they take any

actively aggressive measures, His Majesty's Government

will have no option but to lend their assistance to the

Portuguese,

(11) In view of the opinion expressed by Mr.

Jamieson that China's contention is sound in equity

though not in law, His Majesty's Government will enquire

of Portuguese Government whether they are prepared to

permit the Chinese to make unrestricted use of that half

of the harbour by which their own territory can be

reached, such arrangement to be regarded as a temporary

and purely voluntary concession which shall in no way

affect

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