[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government, and should be returned to the Foreign Office if not required for official use.]
28
188
From CHINA.
Decode.
Sir M. Lampson, (Peking).
2nd June 1928.
D.
8.20 p.m. 2nd June 1928.
R.
9.0 a.m. 3rd June 1928.
No. 541. (R).
hû read
281
300161/27
(in Dept)
Following received from Canton. ·
Addressed to Peking No.55, repeated to Hongkong
and Commander-in-Chief.
Independent shore expedition would still be dangerous as likely to cause anti-British agitation although owing to political circumstances danger is perhaps less now than last year. I agree that naval patrol would be preferable if constantly maintained but I have received no information that this is being done
and I understood from Commander-in-Chief that it was
impracticable.
My telegram to Hongkong was not intended to deal with retaliatory measures so much as to ascertain whether they would be taken in view of Hongkong despatch of May 7th so that I could adjust my attitude to local author- ities accordingly. It will be remembered that last time I was accused of bad faith by Chinese because whilst I was urging them to take action an independent British expedition was already on its way without my knowledge. See my despatch No.48 of 1927. I have already made all possible verbal and written representations short of threatening retaliation and Chinese have given usual promise to send troops but I doubt whether they will do anything effective.
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