CO129-493 - Governor Sir Clementi - 1926 [6-8] — Page 57

B

and I should say, the chairmanship of British

delegation desirable. The Governor Hongkong has,

I am sure, full confidence in him,

It is considered here quite possible that

Chiang Kaishek hopes by effecting settlement to

devote all his attention to more energetic military

measures and propaganda against Hunan and/or lower

Yangtze but I venture to urge that procedure for

negotiations with Kwangtung, where immediate vital

interests are at stake, should not be subordinated

to the exigences of nebulous and shifting political

situation with centre and north of China, With

reference to para reph 2 of your telegram comperi-

sion between attitude of a civil government or

a military dictatorship in Carton seems to us here

a very speculative basis for policy.

My advice is based on firm conviction

that protection of British interests in China must

inevitably and increasingly depend, with or without

approval by His Majesty's Government, on direct

relations with the provinces rather than with a

succession of phantom governments in Peking, but

I should havo hesitated to express this unorthodox

view unless I had found warm support for it with

His Majesty's Consul General Shanghal, Canton and

with the Governor of Hongkong.

Repeated to Foreign Office No. 25 and

Hongkong.

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