ABSTRACT
This chapter charts the CMCS as it encountered the rise of the nationalist GMD and antiimperialist sentiment. For the CMCS the 1920s represented a rapidly shifting political kaleidoscope within which the Service had to chart its direction. The maintenance of the Service’s integrity was paramount during this unstable period. From 1923 to 1927 there were three prominent challenges to the CMCS, namely the Guangzhou (Canton) Customs controversy, the Guangzhou-Hong Kong boycott and the dismissal of Aglen as Inspector General (IG). These events and the issues surrounding them signify a dramatic shift in the fortunes of the Service. While in 1923 the CMCS was protected by gunboat diplomacy, by 1926 the Service was noticeably alone in defending its integrity. This was further emphasized with the dismissal of Aglen by the northern militarists. This evolution in the status of the Service, in foreign and Chinese eyes, signified an uncertain future for the CMCS in the Republic.
