CO129-512-1 Political situation in China- and Canton 30-11-1928 - 23-5-1929 — Page 90

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4.

General Chan Hing-wan then begged me to

intercede with Sir Miles Lampson on behalf of

Marshal Li, and to arrange, if possible, that,

should Marshal Li escape either to the British

Consulate or to a British cruiser at Nanking, he

would be given British protection.

5. I telegraphed immediately to Sir Miles

Lampson at Peking, to Mr. Hewlett at Nanking,

and to Vice-Admiral Waistell at Shanghai,

communicating to them the information, which had

reached me from the Canton Government, and

strongly supporting the request to give Marshal Li

such British protection as might be possible.

I consider it to be very much in the interests of

Hong Kong and of British trade in South China

generally, that we should, if possible, save the

life of Marshal Li Chai-sum, for there is no doubt

that under his rule piracy and brigandage in

Kuangtung have been curbed and trade conditions for British merchants made less hazardous.

It is

also beyond doubt that the object of Marshal Li

Chai-sum in going to Nanking was to leave nothing

in his power undone to prevent a recrudescence of

civil war. I fear, however, that Chiang Kai-shek,

having got Li Chai-sum into his hands, will give

him little chance of escape.

6. I take this opportunity of informing

you that General Tang Shang-chi, who, as you will

know from paragraph 4 of my Secret Despatch of the

1st February and from enclosure No.1 in my Secret

Despatch of the 28th February, was recently living in Hong Kong, arrived in Peking on the

19th

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