CO129-501-8 General policy in China 30-11-1926 - 30-11-1926 — Page 127

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ourselves, might be expected to continue so long as the

extremist section of the Kuo-min-tang, supported by the

Bolshevists remained in power. If the Southerners

succeeded in their campaign in central China, the mask

would doubtless be throm off, and we might expect an

intensive attack on foreign treaties and on the Mari-

time Customs. If the Northerners succeeded, more

moderation would probably be shown and there would not

be the same determination to destroy treaties and

undermine the Customs organization. In either event,

we considered the only safe course was to protest at

once emphatically against the new taxes and the attempt

to duplicate Customs functions.

The protest should be

supported by a show of force in concert with the other

Powers, especially Japan, the United States and France.

We strongly urged joint action; but failing that, we

considered independent action by Great Britain to be

necessary. We further considered that tacit acquies-

cence in the new taxation or a protest unsupported by

a show of force would merely aggravate the dangers of

the situation and confront us later on with both the

new taxes and a renewed boycott, as well as with dup-

licated Customs organization. These views were held

by the Executive Council with unanimity and I tele-

graphed to you in this sense on the 28th October.

25. Next day the diplomatic body again met at

Peking and Sir R. Macleay explained to the meeting

the view of His Majesty's Government to be that, be-

fore any united protest was made, the consuls at Canton,

either jointly or individually, should endeavour to

induce the Canton Government to entrust the whole

collection

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