CO129-497 - Public Offices - 1926 — Page 96

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Chen said he hoped that we should avoid creating the

impression that meetings had been broken off. Nationalist

govemment were dependent on the peasant and labouring

classes for their strength and in return were out to

assist labour. As aftermath no doubt of civil war the

position of labour in Harkow was rather delicate, in fact

the atmosphere was electrical. Our meetings were known and labour had subsided for the moment, but if they were

broken off he was rather apprehensive. This was undoubted- ly intended as a veiled threat and I asked what steps his government would take to preserve order. He said thay would of course suppress crime but could not prevent

propaganda and incidents might occur however watchful the

authorities might be. I propose to deal with local situa-

tion in a later telegram.

In conclusion I told him of my conversation with

Saburi and Mayer and he warned me in strictest confidence

against the Japanese.

In view of interest that has been aroused by the fact of our meetings I also broached the question of issuing

agreed statement in most general terms of our meetings.

This he said he would consider, but could not bind himself

to agree to in advance and agein emphasized that he was in a most delicate position.

Addressed to Foreign Office Nos. 13 and 14.

Repeated to Peking, Shanghai, Tokyo and Hongkong for Canton,

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