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[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[F 5311/7/10]
REOSIVED
23 OCT 1928
O OFFICE
Nor
October 2, 1928.
Section 2.
Acting Consul-General Brenan Lord Cushendun.-(Received October 2.)
(No. 86.)
My Lord,
Canton, August 30, 1928. I HAVE the honour to enclose herewith for your information copies of my despatch to His Majesty's Minister at Peking, No. 133 of the 30th August, 1928, reporting on the local political situation.
I have, &c.
J. F. BRENAN.
Enclosure 1 in No. 1.
X
(No. 133.) Sir,
Acting Consul-General Brenan to Sir M. Lampson.
Canton, August 30, 1928.
I HAVE the honour to report that, without being able to obtain any definite information, I have received disquieting rumours from various sources, that trouble of some sort is brewing in Canton. I enclose, for instance, a copy of a letter from Major-General Luard in Hong Kong, who has been told by a Chinese in touch with Marshal Li Chai-sum's entourage that a plot against the marshal is being hatched by the local supporters of Chiang Kai-shek. My reply to General Luard is also enclosed.
2. The same sort of reports have been passed on to me by the Asiatic Petroleum Company, who are often well informed through their Chinese agents, and very definite corroboration of the uneasy feeling in the city is furnished by the recent request of four Chinese police inspectors for permits to enter the concession at night. The concession gates are closed every evening at 10 o'clock. The request for passes was made privately to the British Municipal Superintendent of Police, Captain Clements, with whom the Chinese police officials are on friendly terms, and the reason given was Communist disaffection among the troops. During the last uprising the police were the first sufferers, and these four inspectors evidently intend to keep open a line of retreat in case of necessity.
3. The French consul has heard through Catholic missionary channels that General Chan Ming-shu, whose headquarters are in Hainan, had planned a revolt against the Kwangsi régime in Canton, but that he had abandoned the idea.
4. One obvious way of making things difficult for Marshal Li is to encourage bad feeling against the British, with whom he is trying to keep on friendly terms, and to force him into a position where he either has to suppress the Chinese agitation and be denounced as a "running dog" of the foreigner, or be brought into undesired conflict with the British authorities. I enclose a translation of a press article intended to stir up trouble over the Hong Kong boundaries, which I am told was published with the above object in view.
5. The local authorities profess to have no anxiety, and state that Marshal Li's subordinates are faithful to him and have firm control of the city. Nevertheless, the hunt for Communists continues and executions are a daily occurrence. The marshal is expected back in Canton shortly, but the date of his departure from Shanghai is postponed from day to day, and the uncertainty of his movements does not allay the general uneasiness.
6. Mr. Hu Han-min, the Nationalist right wing leader, has returned from Europe and is at present in Hong Kong. He appears to be undecided whether to visit Canton or to go straight on to Shanghai and Nanking.
7. Another significant visitor in Canton at the moment is Yang Yü-sun, the representative of General Chang Hsueh-liang of Manchuria, who is housed in the old British consulate yamen and is being treated as an honoured guest. It is rumoured that the Manchurian and Kwangsi parties are contemplating an entente against Chiang Kai-shek and the left wing of the Kuomintang.
[594 b--2]
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