CO129-502-6 China- general situation 7-1-1927 - 3-3-1927 — Page 171

CABINET 2(27)

Extract from Conclusions of a Meeting held at 10 Downing Street, on Monday, January 17th, 1927. at 3.0.p.m.

7

188

CHINA

(Previous Reference: Cabinet 1 (27 Con- clusion 2.)

2. The Cabinet had before them a Report by the

Chiefs of Staff Sub-Committee of the Committee of

Imperial Defence on the Situation at Canton (Paper

C.P.8(27)).

During the meeting a draft Re port by the

Chiefs of Staff Sub-Committee, with special

reference to the defence of Shanghai (Paper C.P.12

(27)) was handed round.

The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs

made a statement regarding the evelopment of

events in China. It had transpired, he said, in the

case of Hankow that one of the difficulties in under-

taking its defence had been that British women and

children lived outside the Concession.

Enquiry had

been made as to how far this applied to other British

Concessions. A reply had been received from Amoy

to the effect that it did apply there, and there was

no doubt that it also applied at Shanghai.

From this

it followed that in normal times our fellow-countrymen

felt it safe to live under Chinese rule outside the

Concessions, which, however, were available as â

refuge; and that in considering the defence of other

Concessions where similar conditions to those at

Hankow prevailed, the mere defence of the Concession

would not necessarily provide protection to the lives

of all our nationals or to their property.

Sir Austen Chamberlain reported that since

the last meeting of the Cabinet he had telegraphed to

Sir Miles Lampson, for information, a summery of the

Report by the Chiefs of Staff (Paper C.P.4(27))

together with the Conclusions in full. He had also