CO129-502-7 China- general situation 4-3-1927 - 26-4-1927 — Page 58

SECRET

CABINET 27(27

55

61

Extract from Conclusions of a Meeting of the Cabinet held at 10 Downing Street on Wednesday 13th April 1927 at 11.30 a.m.

CHINA

(Previous

Reference: Cabinet 26 (27) Con- clusion 1.)

1. The Cabinet had before them Reports by the

Committee of Chiefs of Staff, with the following

titles:-

The Situation in China, with special reference to

the Yangtse (Paper C.P.123(27)):

The Situation at Canton (Paper CP.125(27)):

The Situation in China, with special reference to

Peking and Tientsin (Paper C.P.126(27)).

The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs

raised two questions for decision.

(1) The reply to be sent to Sir Miles Lampson's

telegram No.634, of April 7th (C.P.126 (27) Appendix

(B)) in regard to the pos ible evacuation, in case of

danger of Peking end Tientsin: and

(ii) The question as to whether, in the not

improbable event of a non-compliance by the Cantonese

Government with the demands in connection with the

Nanking outrages and of a continued unwillingness of

the other Powers concerned to impose sanctions, we

should be prepared to act alone.

Sir Austen Chamberlain gave full information as to the

present