CO129-497 - Public Offices - 1926 — Page 360

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[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government,

SECRET.

Printed for the Committee of Imperial Defence. March 1926.

354

Copy No.

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COMMITTEE OF IMPERIAL DEFENCE.

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Extract from the Minutes of the 211th Meeting, held on March 29, 1926.

(1.)—SITUATION IN CHINA WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO CANTON. (C.I.D. Papers Nos. 677-B and 681-B.)

(Previous References: C.I.D. Minutes of 202nd Meeting, Minute 3, and 210th Meeting, Minute 3.)

THE COMMITTEE had under consideration a Report by the Chiefs of Staff on the situation in China, with special reference to Canton (C.I.D. Paper No. 677-B), and a Report by the Advisory Committee on Trading and Blockade on the subject of the Blockade of the Approaches to Canton (C.ID. Paper No. 681-B).

LORD BEATTY AND HIS COLLEAGUES had nothing to add to their Report.

SIR AUSTEN CHAMBERLAIN, in reply to the Prime Minister, said that the chances of obtaining international agreement on any measures which might be taken with regard to the boycott of Hong Kong were not good. On a recent occasion the International Delegations in Peking had been approached with discouraging results. Methods of patience and caution appeared to offer the only hopes of a solution. Although the situation looked better momentarily, it changed too ofte for him to say at present whether the outlook was definitely brighter.

LORD CECIL remarked that from a Colonial Office telegram which had recently been circulated, it appeared that there was already a shortage of rice in Canton. If this were so, the chances of success of a blockade were improved.* drew attention to the fact that one condition for a successful blockade was the blocking of the West River by a gun-boat stationed between Wu-Chou and Canton,! No doubt the Naval Staff would examine the possibilities of taking such a step.

MR. AMERY said that the situation was an extremely anxious one for Ho Kong. He had hoped that more could have been done in the way of blockade tha had transpired from the Report of the Advisory Committee, and suggested that Naval and Military Staffs should study carefully the question of what methods w the most likely to ensure international agreement.

CONCLUSION

THE COMMITTEE OF IMPERIAL DEFENCE agreed-

(a) To take note of the Report of the Chiefs of Staff on the Situation in China (C.ID. Paper No. 677-B) and the Report of the Advisory Committee on Trading and Blockade on the subject of a Blockade of the Approaches to Canton (C.I.D. Paper No. 681–B),

(b.) That the Secretary should circulate these Reports to the Cabinet for

information.

t MUITO MAIStol

FANTAUTE 2013

2, Whitehall Gardens, S. W. 1, March 29, 1926.

• Note by the Secretary. Subsequent to the meeting, however, a telegram has been received front. Canton to the effect that the last crop was the best for many years, having exceeded the previous crop by 60 per cent.

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