CO129-495 - Governor Sir Clementi - 1926 [11-12] — Page 118

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and the rendition of all foreign-controlled areas:

4.

In my opinion this is a just appreciation

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of the situation and it is strikingly corroborated by the attached report of an interview, given by General Cheung Kai-shek at his headquarters to a foreign newspaper correspondent and published on the 24th November. General Cheung is reported to have said that "after the successful termination of the

revolution all foreign treaties would instantly be

abrogated and the foreign supervision of the Customs,

the Post Office and the Salt Gabelle abolished. 瞻

In view of this pronouncement I am confirmed

5.

in the opinion which I have already had the honour to lay before you that the Bolshevised Canton Soviet will

of set purpose ignore and defy treaties up to the point at which it meets with forcible resistance. It is, therefore, of the utmost importance that the Treaty Powers should without delay decide what treaty rights they are prepared to defend by force. For example as regards Great Britain I presume that the treaty of Nanking which is the title-deed of the Colony of Hong Kong will not be allowed to become a mere "scrap of paper". Again, the New Territories of this Colony are British by virtue of a ninety-nine years' lease signed at Peking on the 9th June, 1898, and in this connection I refer you to my secret despatch of the 19th January and to my despatches concerning the defence of Hong Kong, which show that the New Territories could not be given up without jeopardising the very existence of Hong Kong as a British Colony. There are also the large British interests involved in the maintenance of the integrity of the Chinese Maritime

Customs