CO129-500-1 Canton situation- governor's despatches 18-5-1927 - 9-6-1927 — Page 109

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Naval Authorities could immediately station a cruiser

at Whampoa or take some other dispositions of a menac-

ing nature in readiness for action.

6.

It so happened that, in connection with

other matters, a meeting of the Hong Kong General

Defence Committee had been arranged to take place at 9.30 a.m. on the 18th May. This meeting, over which I presided, was attended by General C.C. Luard, Rear-Admiral W.H.D. Boyle, Commodore J.L. Pearson, Mr. W.T. Southorn, Mr. E.D.C. Wolfe (Captain Superin- tendent of Police), and Major F.S. Roberts (General Staff Officer. Such a meeting appeared to me to be very well qualified to consider the action appropriate to be taken in connection with the Lungshan affair and I,therefore, brought the matter before the Committee

for its consideration.

7.

We were unanimously of opinion that unprovoked firing at British ships, which has unhappily been very frequent on the Yangtsze, but which has not hitherto taken place on the West River, must be drastically stopped at the outset or it might soon become chronic. The s.s. "Langshan" is a well-known British river? steamer, which has passed the spot where she was attack- ed several times a week for years past. There could have been no doubt as to her identity. She is usually crowded with deck passengers, chiefly Chinese; and it was a mere chance that in the outrageous attack on the 16th May no one in the ship was killed or wounded. Many thousands of passingers pass between Hong Kong and Canton daily in British river steamers. The prosperity of the Colony of Hong Kong depends largely on the

security of travel in the West River delta and respect

for

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