CO129-493 - Governor Sir Clementi - 1926 [6-8] — Page 334

No

SECRET

FRINTED

LOF

Eastern

No 144

COLONIAL OFFIC

HONGKONG.

GOVERNMENT HOUSE.

28th July, 1926.

↓

332

Sir,

I have the honour to forward for your inform- ation copies of a Sessional paper containing the documents published in connection with the recent boycott conference

at Canton. I enclose also copies of a report of the

discussions which took place at the meetings of the

1

conference on the 21st and 23rd July. This report will not be published.

2.

The proceedings of the conference were most disappointing because the Canton delegation appears to

have regarded the meetings as a good occasion for indulging in propaganda rather than as an opportunity for settling the boycott. Allowance must, of course, be made for the fact that Mr. Eugene Ch'ên is by profession a journalist and that Mr. Ku Mang-yü is Director of the Propaganda Bureau at Canton. But, even so, the deliberate resuscita- tions by the Canton delegations of the unfortunate Shakee- Shameen episode of the 23rd June, 1925, and the demand

for an international Commission of Enquiry to settle the

responsibility for that episode, as a preliminary to

discussing terms for settlement of boycott, do not encourage

the hope that the Canton Government is genuinely desirous

the

of

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE

LIEUTENANT COLONEL 1.0.1.S. AMERY, M.P.,

&c.,'

&c.,

&c.