CO129-502-7 China- general situation 4-3-1927 - 26-4-1927 — Page 64

SECRET

CABINET 26( 27 )

Extract from Conclusions of a Meeting held at 10 Downing Street on Tuesday, 12th April, 1927, at 11.30.a.m.

54 67

CHINA

(Previous

Reference: Cabinet 25 (27) Con- clusion 2.)

1. At the outset of the Meeting, copies of a

Report by the Committee of Chiefs of Staff, on the

Situation in China with special reference to the

Yangtse (Paper C. P. 123(27)) were handed round.

The Prime Minister informed the Cabinet that the

Committee of Chiefs of Staff was anxious that this

Report should be considered as soon as possible, the

point at issue being as to whether the Naval Commander-

in-Chief was to be prepared to act alone in the matter

of sanctions for the Nanking outrages in the event of

America and Japan refusing to co-operate, and, if so, on

whose instructions he was to act.

The attention of the Cabinet was drawn to Sir

Miles Lampson's telegram No.669, dated April 11th,

suggesting that a simple affirmative reply ought to be

insisted on at the latest within 72 hours from the date

of delivery of the demands of the Powers. The

Cabinet were reminded that 24 hours had already

elapsed, while the Commander-in-Chief required 72

hours to make the necessary dispositions for enforcing

sanctions.

The