CO129-502-8 China- general situation 27-4-1927 - 15-9-1927 — Page 109

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be made very effective. Russian supplies are

at present cut off from Canton. Marshal Chang

Tso-lin is at war with Marshal Tseung Kai-shek

and General Li Chai-sum. Therefore supplies

from the Mukden arsenal will certainly be

denied to Nanking and Canton. Moreover, the

Hankow Government is at war with Marshal Tseung

and General Li. Therefore supplies from the

Hanyang arsenal will also be denied to them.

This passage in the Advisory Committee's report ignors the fact that China is completely

disintegrated and involved in civil war, the

end of which is not yet in sight.

(6) "The stoppage of.

•

at present available".

Local enquiries seem to show that there are

no local supplies of sulphur and nitrates and

no plant for the manufacture of sulphuric and

nitric acid in any quantity available to the Canton Government. Even during the boycott the Canton Government applied on various occasions to this Government for special permits for the importation from Hong Kong of Sulphur Saltpetre,

Alum and Chlorate of Potash for the manufacture

of fire-crackers.

(7) "It is unlikely that...

alone existed".

It is our considered opinion that blockade

would