506
ALA
16878
Mr. Brenan's despatch above referred to, and I attach hereto a copy of a report from the General Staff, China Command, dated the 16th August, in which Major General Luard concurs.
3.
On the afternoon of the 21st August I held a further conference at Government House, Hongkong, at which there were present Major-General Luard, Rear Admiral Stirling, Mr. Brenan, Kr. Southorn, Mr. Kemp, Mr. Halifax, Mr. Wolfe (Captain Superintendent of Police) and Major Bennett. After full discussion we agreed that on the occurrence of the next anti-British outrage by strike pickets at Canton, His Majesty's ships there should seize all strike picket boats and craft used by strike pickets and disable them. Rear-Admiral Stirling agreed with the view of Commander Fitzgerald that this operation could be effected without landing a man and probably without firing a shot. The result would be to drive strike pickets off the Canton water- ways and, once driven off, they would not be allowed to appear there again, We further agreed that, in view of the recent outrageous behaviour of strike pickets along the frontier of the New Territories, described in my secret despatches of the 23rd and 30th July, concerning
16911 which a strong protest has been lodged by Hr. Brenan with
6565 with bis)
the Canton Government but without any result, steps should be taken by the Hongkong Police to prevent strike pickets from operating along the northern bank of the Sham-chun river. These pickets are now again armed with rifles and the guerrilla frontier warfare described in my despatch No. 72 of the 18th February, 1926, has been renewed. So long as armed strike pickets can patrol
the
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