CO129-496 - Public Offices - 1926 — Page 32

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A

Majesty's Government to lead them beyond the particular

Customs issue into siding with them in their difficulties

with Canton, and took strong exception to any suggestion

for a peaceful blockade of Canton with the object of

bringing the anti-British boycott to an end. In view of this

statement, it would, in Sir Austen chamberlain's opinion,

be impracticable to attempt, as suggested in the telegrams

from the Governor of Hongkong of February 23rd and 26th,

enclosed in your letters 4511/26 of February 25th, and

C 4781/1926 of February 27th, to refuse to regard the

Customs incident as closed and to use it in order to enlist

the support of the Powers in fighting the anti-British

boycott. It would be wiser, therefore, to keep the two

issues strictly separate and Sir Austen Chamberlain

regards it, in fact, as a matter for congratulation that the

Customs incident was satisfactorily closed before it could

raise other and more dangerous issues and lead possibly to

a disintegration of the Customs administration. He hopes,

however, that it has served to weaken the authority and to

lower the prestige of the Strike Committee, and that in

this way the end of the boycott may have been brought

appreciably nearer.

I am,

Sir.

Your obedient Servant,

Gengs Mounsey