CO129-502-6 China- general situation 7-1-1927 - 3-3-1927 — Page 92

105

Defence Force would be concentrated upon Hong Kong.

(c) That the Secretary of State for War should be

authorised to take up accommodation at Hong Kong for

the British Brigades from home and from the

Mediterranean, which could only camp in the open until

about March 15th;

(a) That the Secretary of State for War should base his

(e)

arrangements on the assumption that no use can be made

of Wei-hai-wei for hospital cr other military purposes:

To take note that (so far as this has not already been

done) the Secretary of State for War will instruct the

General Officer appointed to command the Shanghai

Defence Force, on his arrival at Shanghai, to consider

carefully all measures for the organisation of en

adequate Intelligence Service, including, if he deems

feasible and desirable, the attachment of attachés with

the forces of various Chinese armies:

(£) To take note

Х

That the Secretary of State for War and the First Lord

of the Admiralty will circulate copies of all Service

telegrams to and from China which are likely to be

useful to the Cabinet during the present crisis in China;

also

(8)

(h)

That the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs will

arrange for immediate copies of telegrams to and from

China to be circulated to the Cabinet during the present

crisis without the delay involved in printing:

That in the public interest the Prime Minister should

refuse information in the House of Commons regarding the

number of troops and other armed British forces at

present at Shanghai available for the defence of the

international settlement (Mr. Lansbury's starred Question

No.47 February 10th).

That in regard to the French proposal to invoke the good

offices of the League of Nations, the Secretary of State

for Foreign Affairs should have authority, if he deems