Directory_and_Chronicle_1927

CANTON

867

the incident of the 30th May, at Shanghai where the Municipal Police fired on a crowd mainly composed of students and many were killed and wounded, a mass demonstra- tion was organised in Canton against the 'Imperialistic Policy' of England, America and Japan and a general strike proclaimed, all Chinese leaving Shameen. On the 23rd June a monster procession moved slowly past the barricaded bridges of Shameen, shout- ing threats and defiance at the sailors and marines who had been landed from British and French gunboats to prevent a threatened entry on to the two Concessions. At the end of the procession several hundred of Chiang Kai-shek's victorious Whampoa Cadets appeared and, to the horror of eyewitnesses, shots suddenly rang out. Instantly pandemonium reigned Thousands of shots were exchanged. A French merchant, M. Pasquier, was killed and several foreigners, among them the Commissioner of Customs wounded. On the Chinese side of the Creek the casualties under the fire of the French and British sailors were more severe. At least fifty were killed and a hundred wounded. All intercourse between the settlement and city now ceased. The local Government lodged bitter protests with the British and French Consulates-General and set forth five demands which included the rendition to the Kwangtung Govern- ment of the Foreign Concessions on Shameen, the punishment of the naval officers concerned and the dismissal of the British Consul-General. The threats of sections on the Chinese side appeared to warrant the island assuming an attitude of defence, and, with sandbags and barbed wire and with volunteers and Indian troops landed from Hongkong, Shamcen became, and for some four months remained, a fortified camp dependent entirely on itself for all essential services and on Hongkong by means of naval craft for all supplies. On July 1st a new Government, the "Nationalist Gov- ernment" formed on the Bolshevist system of Committees, entered office. The Political Council consisted of 16 leading members of the Kuomintang with Wang Ching-wei as Chairman. On August 20th Liao Chung-kai, Minister of Finance, was assassinated at the entrance of the Kuomintang Headquarters. Various suspects were arrested including Liang Hung-kai, an important Cantonese Commander and substantial rewards offered for the capture of Ngai Bong-ping, ex-Commissioner of Police and others. General Chen Chiung-ming again rose and capturing Swatow and Waichow, which were lightly defended commenced an advance towards Canton down the East River. He was, however, again crushed by General Chiang Kai-shek's superiority in foreign-trained troops early in November. During this month the -sorely-tried residents of Shameen, after a twenty weeks' 'siege' began to find some relief in the gradual return of a few of their servants and a general improvement in fecling generally. No further incident had occurred and the bridges were partially opened and defence precautions somewhat relaxed. Negotiations were tentatively opened between Hongkong and Canton merchants aiming at an end of the strike- boycott and of a situation in which both sides were suffering but they proved abortive. The boycott was maintained, with the help of labour pickets until October 1926 when it was declared terminated by the Kuomintang Government. Although the suppres- sion of the pickets gave greater freedom to trade, business generally suffered throughout the year owing to constant labour disputes and the heavy burden of taxation imposed in order to provide financial support for the expedition which General Chiang Kai Shek led against the North. With the establishment of the Kuomintang headquarters at Wuchang the Yangtsze became the centre of political and military activity of the nationalists.

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