CO129-499-2 Canton situation- governor's despatches 15-1-1927 - 4-2-1927 — Page 104

For

23561

- 2 2.

·

at Peking on the recent memorandum of British Policy

in China.

2.

108

I particularly invite your attention to the description in the Canton Gazette of the recent Hankow incident as being the result of an unprovoked assault by British forces on a peaceable Chinese demonstration

and to the striking similarity between the events of the 3rd January at Hankow and the Shameen incident of

the 23rd June, 1925. There is, in my opinion, not the

slightest doubt that the later incident like the earlier one was carefully planned and staged by the Nationalist Party, whose policy with regard to foreign concessions has been so clearly stated by their Commander-in-Chief

in the interview reported in my secret despatch of the

22nd December. This interview is also reported in

memorandum No. 16 issued by the Tientsin British Committee

I also refer you to the

Enclo. No. of Information: copy enclosed.

ho

speech by Mr. Sun Fo forming enclosure No. 8. to my

secret despatch of the 24th December and to paragraph

seven of that despatch.

3.

I am informed that numerous circular telegrams

have been despatched by various sections of the Kuomin-

tang and its Labour organizations broadcasting a protest

against the "British Massacre Affair" at Hankow; and I

cannot too strongly urge the necessity of putting these

events before the whole Empire in their true colours as a deliberate and unprovoked assault upon a British Con-

cession by the Nationalist Party of China. I take this

Enclo No.8 opportunity of enclosing copies of a pamphlet, which with

the assistance of Admiral Sir E. Alexander-Sinclair I

caused to be prepared and published locally both in English and in Chinese, giving a correct account of the

Wan Hsien