CO129-490 - Public Offices - 1925 — Page 623

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Faraphrase of telegram from Sir R. Macleay (Peking)

Dated February 14th, 1926.

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In the event of it being decided that suggested new intemational convention shall conform in general character to the principle of the convention of September 10th, 1919 which excluded from the category of prohibited areas all territories other than those occupied by primitive or uncultured races and territories deemed to be assigned by virtue of mandate or under protection, I hold the view that Chinese Government in view of their position as a member of the League and a party

to the Convention of 1919, would strongly deprecate any

Further, any suggestion that China should be so classified.

effort on our part, whether ultimately successful or not, to procure international concurrence in a classification of this description would, I believe, bring us into very bad odour in

China.

Naturally this difficulty would be obviated

if the Chinese delegation could be persuaded to concur in cuch an arrangement, but I consider that that is a most unlikely

contingency.

We must not lose sight of the fact that the Arme Embargo Agreement is confessedly merely a provisional arrangement designed to remain in effect until the advent of

a government whose determination is to stamp out civil war in the country, and whose authority is admitted by the whole of

China

Were this agreement to be regarded in any

other light, it might be construed as a hostile combination

of Powers formed for the purpose of ensuring that China shall

remain defenceless and powerless.

The/