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MINUTES.
MINUTES NOT TO BE WRITTEN ON THIS SIDE.
Paraphrase of telegram from the Secretary of State for the
Colonies to the Governor of Hong Kong.
(Sent, 3.10 p.m. 22nd December, 1923.)
197
1line 20.12.23.
Grindle
21.12.
Lasterton
Smith (in
Chinese Customs Revenues.
Your telegram of 12th
De cember Chinese Minister has called at Foreign Office to protest against your Government openly supporting Sun in his attempt to seize custom revenues. He also com-
Ice of S. of S.) plained of cordial reception accorded to Sun by you and
at once.
J.M.S.
22.12.
As the matter
become one of
me urgency opnsequence of
hinese Minister
t to the F.0.
of a newspaper rt in today's
ly Telegraph",
approved
mediate des-
desired explanation as to apparent difference between attitude of Hong Kong Government and that of His Majestyb Government .
The opinion has been expressed to me by Secretary
of State for Foreign Affairs that it is highly improper
for you as Governor of Hong Kong to receive emissaries
of the leader of a Chinese faction against whom naval
of this tele- forces of the Powers have just been despatched and to after consul-
don with Sir G.
ndle and Kr.
The draft odies the views
Issed to me
ly by the
S.just before left London.
"J..S.
22.12.)
offer yourself as intermediary between him and diplomatic body at Peking, and he tells me that he cannot help
feeling that Sun's defiance of His Majesty's Government
and of other powers interested in maintenance of customs
could hardly have gone to the lengths it has but for support which he has been encouraged to expect from Government of Hong Kong.
You are aware that representations have come to me
previously from the Foreign Office as to the uneasiness caused there by your attitude on various occasions for
some time past. Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs has indeed suggested more than once that your transfer
to another post would materially assist united action by
Powers to avert what threatens to become serious situation
in
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