CO129-497 - Public Offices - 1926 — Page 158

This C

This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government, and should be

returned to the Foreign Office if not required for official use.

CHINA.

155

Cypher telegram to Mr. Lampeon,

(Peking)

Foreign Office, 28th December, 1926. - 9.30.p.m.

isl

*

No. 416.

:

Your telegrams Nos. 542, 544 and 547.

We agree with you that publication has completely altered the situation, and had always contemplated that this would be the case. The instructions to you to press your colleagues to join in a unanimous de- claration or to formulate alternative policies were intended to hold good only so long as publication could be deferred.

Fublication having, however, now been forced upon us, both by the necessity of controverting malicious representation and also to some extent by the categorical refusal of the Japanese government to join in even the first step of our programme, we consider that it must be regarded as our answer to that refusal, and as an appeal to the world at large and away from the narrow sphere of the diplomatic corps at Peking.

We do not therefore expect you to go out of your way to pursue the questions of a joint declaration or of alternative policies, unless these questions come up naturally and spontaneously for discussion in any of your future interviews or meetings with your colleagues.

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