CO129-500-1 Canton situation- governor's despatches 18-5-1927 - 9-6-1927 — Page 138

·

- 2 -

trip the s.s. "Iungshan" was escorted by H.M.S. "Cicala". The valour of the aforesaid troops

proved unequal to the prospect of serious retal- iation and no further firing took place.

Facios Nos 1 & 2.2

2027

830001 B

1027 of 30001 B

137

I enclose two further reports of the result of the invitation to the Hong Kong press described in

paragraph 2 of my secret despatch of the 13th May.

The replacement of the author of the invitation by a

subordinate, in order that any inconvenient question might be burked and unfortunate statement repudiated,

is too typical of Chinese diplomatic methods to

require further comment.

3.

The matter of the demand on the steam-

launch "Tai Pang" (see paragraph 6 of my despatch of the 13th May) appears to have closed with Mr. Brenan's

representations. The District Officer, Mr. J.A. Fraser with the kind assistance of Colonel F. Hayley Bell,

Commissioner of Chinese Customs for the "Kowloon"

district, endeavoured to get into personal touch with the author of the demand (Mr. P'ang Ching-hin) at his

headquarters in Bias Bay but found Mr. P'ang absent in Hong Kong. Mr. Fraser, however, established

friendly relations with the Chinese District Inspector of Police at Nam 0 (on the Mirs Bay shore of the

Peninsula separating that bay from Bias Bay) and was

given to understand that the position was realized

and the demand would not be repeated.

launch has called at Tip Fuk without molestation.

4. My hopes for the resumption of through

traffic on the Kowloon-Canton Railway have only

partially been realized, the damage to the locomotives

seized by the Communist railway staff having left the

Since then the

Chinese