90
No.808 of 16th February).
On the previous evening the
Prime Minister and Secretary of 3tate for Foreign
Affairs, who, on the first receipt of this telegram,
had been under the impression that these troops would
be arriving at Shanghai at an early date, had asked the First
Lord of the Admiralty to direct the Commander-in-Chief to
suspend this order pending further instructions (Admiralty
telegram to Commander-in-Chief, China, No.485, dated
February 16, 1927) their intention being that these should
be issued after consideration by the Cabinet of the political
matters referred to below, which might be affected by the
arrival of further troops.
The Cabinet were informed that at the present time
about 8,000 men were, or would shortly be, available for
the defence of the international settlement at Shanghai
against mob violence (including the mixed Indian Brigade
and other British troops; naval ratings and Marines; 1,100
Americans; 1,100 Japanese; and 100 Italians). The Suffolk
Regiment was being brought to Shanghai from Hong Kong, where
there were several cruisers from which about 800 men could be
landed.
In these circumstance's the Chief of the Imperial
General Staff was reported to hold the view that, on the
arrival of the two British Brigades (the first due at
Shanghai between February 28th and March 2nd, the second
between March 4th and March 7th) it would be safe to return
the Indian troops to India, thereby saving heavy expense to
Imperial funda, and that, taking into consideration the naval
ratings and Marines (to say nothing of the foreign landing
parties) the equivalent of the infantry of a Division (which
he had estimated to be required) would still remain available
at Shanghai, and would be sufficient for any emergency that
was likely to arise.
The
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