Secret
CABINET 8(27)
118
31
Extract from Conclusions of a Meeting held on February 7th, 1927
at 11.30 a.m. and continued at 3.0 p.m.
CHINA
(Previous
Reference:
Cabinet y (27), Con- clusion 5).
2.
The Cabinet further considered the question of whether
the Indian Mixed Brigade, which forms the first instalment of
the Shanghai Defence Force, should be landed at Hong Kong or
should proceed to Shanghai. They were informed that the first
transport had been due at Hong Kong on the previous day,
though its arrival had not as yet been reported. The second
and third transports were due at Hong Kong two or three days
later.
-
Replies to the telegrams sent to Sir Miles Lampson as
the result of the previous meeting (Nos.106,107,108 to Peking
see also Appendix III to Cabinet 7(27), Conclusion 5) were before
the Cabinet, together with other information bearing on the subject,
which may be summarised as follows:
(1) In reply to the request for a report on the alterntive
policies discussed at the previous meeting of the Cabinet, Sir Miles Lampson (Peking telegram No.247 of February 5th) stated that if
Chen would say that he accepted our offer as being a satisfactory
basis of a complete general settlement with us, including the cessa-
tion of anti-British agitation, boycott, etc. and not merely of the
Hankow nd Kiukiang questions, and would accompany such acceptance
with a written assurance backed by concrete proofs of good faith,
But then the need for further troops at Shanghai would not arise.
he intimated that the assurance was not likely to be given, and the
demand might produce a break (In this connection attention was
drawn to Peking telegram No.255, in which Mr.O'Malley questioned
whether the hostile activities of the Nationalist Government and
its associates would be limited by the fact of having given assur-
ances). As regards the second alternative Sir Miles Lampson held
that the decision must be taken on the merits of the position
vis-a-vis Japan.
(11)
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