CO129-494 - Governor Sir Clementi - 1926 [9-10] — Page 294

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only produce to unfavourable reaction elsewhere in

in China but will now be generally welcomed in all

parts of the country, except those controlled by

Canton extremists. If, however, naval action

against Canton and Swatow advocated by the Governor

is ruled out on account of international complice-

tions which it might involve, or for other reasons I think the time has now arrived for us to adopt

the alternative course of assisting the more

conservative friendly Chinese elements in their

struggle against the Canton extremists, who, under

direct Bolshevik instigation, have proved themselves

so implacably hostile to British interests in China,

and that, as it is we who have been singled out by

the Cantonese as their enemies, we should, if

necessary, act elone in the matter and leave it to

the other powers to follow suit. In that case, I

would recommend that we should, as a first step,

lose no time in giving Sun the assurances suggested

by His Majesty's Consul-General at Shanghaj and

that we should then proceed to ascertain in what

menner we can give him most prompt and effective

material assistance in his military operations in

the Yangtze valley.

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By affording material support in good time

to the enti-Bolshevik leaders we may be able to

avoid active intervention ourselves, but, in any case, it would seem desirable for the Admiralty to consider the advisability of sending naval re-

inforcements to the Far East.