CO129-501-8 General policy in China 30-11-1926 - 30-11-1926 — Page 83

COPY.

(F 5395/4068/10)

BRITISH LEGATION,

PEKING.

23rd April, 1927.

88

My dear Brenan,

I have received, and given a good deal of thought

to, your despatch No. 31 of 8 March, in which you reply to

the criticisms made by the Governor of Hongkong on your

conduct of affairs in Canton in September last.

Although I was still at home when most of the

events occurred with which these papers deal, I have gone

through the dossiers, and consulted members of the Legation

who were here at the time; and I am quite clear, as a result

of doing so, that the substance of your reply to Sir Cecil's

despatch is in accordance with the real facts. Sir Cecil's

main point is that you prematurely "suspended further action

by the British Mavy" against the strike pickets; but it is

quite evident to me that, in doing what you did on this

occasion you were correctly interpreting the policy and

wishes of the Government. That is the justification of your

action, and that is all that matters. Into the merits of

that policy we need none of us now go.

I do not think, however, that it would be in the

public interest to allow the Governor's remarks to become

the subject of official controversy, if we can possibly avoid

it. I see that they have a sting in them, arising from the

fact that he identifies certain views and actions in a

personal way with yourself, which he might for the purposes

of his argument equally well have attributed impersonally to

J. F. Brenan, Esquire,

British Consulate-General,

Canton.

the/