Mnr. Amery
287
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We discussed the Governor's three telegrame of the 20th of September with Mr. Mounsey of the Foreign Office this afternoon. I told him that you suspected that Canton was manoeuvering to get some kind of tariff autonomy, and that you had no objection to their getting it. He thought this a very probable explanation. general grounds of policy the Foreign Office do not object tothese extra duties, would in fact rather like to see foreign powers obliged to pay them.
The Foreign Office view is that for the moment Chen's offer to remove the boycott on 10th October makes an immediate ultimatum impossible. We should be hopelessly in the wrong vis-a-vis public opinion at home and abroad. Besides there is always the chance that Chan may
be sincere, as Pekin is inclined to think he is.
I could but acquiesce, especially as I found the Foreign Office ready to agree that, if on or
after 10th October we found the Cantonese were
not removing the boycott, we should have the
necessary peg for an ultimatum to be followed
by such strong measures as we could take
without an actual blockade. At my suggestion
Mr. Mounsey agreed to incorporate in the draft telegram to Pekin herewith a private int imati on to Sir R. Macleay that energetic action was
contemplated if necessary after 10th October,
and that we were considering what form it should
take.
Assuming
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