CO129-502-6 China- general situation 7-1-1927 - 3-3-1927 — Page 89

SECRET

Cabinet 9(27)

Extract from Conclusions of a Meeting held at 10 Downing Street, on Thursday, February 10th, 1927, at 11.30.a.m.

37

102

CHINA

(Previous Reference: Cabinet 8 (27)).

1. The Cabinet further considered their policy

in the light of recent developments.

On the question of British troop movements

the Cabinet were informed that, according to information

received by the Admiralty from the Naval Commander-in-

Chief, two British Battalions of the Indian Mixed

Brigade had left Hong Kong for Shanghai, and that the

transports carrying the rest of the Brigade had been

ordered to proceed to Shanghai direct. The various units

of the Indian Mixed Brigade were due to arrive at

Shanghai between February 12th and 21st. In this

connection attention was drawn to a telegram from the

Naval Commander-in-Chief, China Station, forwarded to

Sir Miles Lampson by the Consul-General, Shanghai

(Shanghai telegram No.41 of February 9th) stating in

reply to Mr. O'Malley's request for information (see

Peking telegram No.45) that one Brigade and one Regiment

(sic) was the minimum requirement for reinforcements;

that the troops would be quartered inside the Shanghai

settlement and only moved outside for tactical purposes;

and that the present arrangement is that the remaining

two Brigades of the Shanghai Defence Force should be

called up from Hong Kong as circunstances require.

In regard to the military situation in China

the information before the Cabinet was to the effect that,

in recent fighting with the Cantonese army, Sun Chuan-fan ge

army covering Shanghai had probably, on balance,

suffered a reverse (Shanghai telegram No.42, Peking

telegrams