CO129-502-6 China- general situation 7-1-1927 - 3-3-1927 — Page 204

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THIS DOCUMENT IS THE PROPERTY OF HIS BRITANNIC BAJESTY'S GOVERN ̈ENT).

SECRET.

C.P

3 (27).

CABINET.

THE SITUATION IN CHINA,

COPY NO:

44-

225

MEMORANDUM BY THE LORD PRESIDENT OF THE

COUNCIL.

1.

It seems to me that the rear-guard action which

we are now fig.ting in Chine is being fought as well as it

can be fought; and I have no immediate change of policy

to su gest. But rear-guard actions, however well fought,

are apt to end either in unconditional surrender or

in the unpleasant operation of dying in the last ditch.

The question therefore arises whether, if things go on

from bad to worse, any alterative is open to us.

2.

we are ready, as I understand it, to treat an effective

Goverment in any part of China as the best temporary

substitute for a non-existent central Government, without

prejudice to China's rights to say for herself whether she

wishes to be a unity or a multiplicity of independent states.

3. The most efficient of these de facto Governments is the

one that predominates in the south; and it is on our

relations with it that the situation for the present

rainly turns

4.

We have made it clear to those in authority that we are

prepared to do our part in hastening and supplementing the

policy of the Washington Conference so unfortunately

postponed, first by the French delay in ratification, and

then by the vanishing into nothingness of the Central

Government.

We have also adurbrated our general willingness pro-

foundly to modify existing Treaties: though we have never

agreed either to regard these Treaties as non-existent,

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