A536
HONGKONG
work were deported. The boycott was most inimical to the trade interests of Hong Kong and Canton, perhaps especially the latter city. Pickets insisted that no ship which had touched at Hong Kong could be unloaded in Canton, and this crippled business for many months, although merchants found devious means of passing into consumption goods which were eagerly desired by the generality of the people. The British Government granted a trade loan of £3,000,000 to help merchants through this period of difficulty, but the whole was not required about £1,800,000 was borrowed. After negotiations, often abortive on account of the inability of the new Government to control agitators, a settlement was finally reached on the 10th October, 1926. Mean- while civil war between the North and South of China reached a crisis, cul- minating in military successes achieved by the South (assisted by Russian ex- perts.) Hankow was occupied by the Nationalists early in September 1926, and an intensive anti-foreign, and particularly, anti-British agitation fol- lowed, the main object being to concentrate public attention on the foreigners as the cause of China's troubles and to divert public indignation from the real cause-the military factions. Though the policy of the British Govern- ment at this time, directed by Sir Austen Chamberlain, was that of "the con- ciliatory gesture,' as manifested in the relinquishment of the Hankow Con- cession so violent was the disorder throughout the country that the moderate policy had unwillingly to be accompanied by the despatch of the Shanghai Defence Force of four brigades. In obedience to the counsels of the Labour Party in Britain, Hong Kong was requested to find accommodation, if pos- sible for the whole of the Force, in order that its presence in Shanghai might not inflame Chinese feeling. However, after investigation, it was reported that not more than half the force could be accommodated in the Colony, and a considerable section accordingly completed the journey to Shanghai. This proved fortunate, for the soldiers were just in the time to prevent Shanghai experiencing the looting and outrages which were the fate of Nanking a few days after the fall of Shanghai (March 21, 1927). In Hong Kong troops were accommodated in the Peninsula Hotel (then partly built) and in other build- ings; also in a hutment camp hastily constructed on Shamshuipo Reclamation. Subsequently two European battalions were retained in the Colony instead of one.
The unrest and lawlessness in China were reflected in the great number of piracies which occurred in Chinese waters during the decade. These usually took the form of risings against the ships' officers by pirates who embarked as passengers and made a surprise attack. So systematically did they carry out their work, that the pirates as soon as they got control of the vessel, ordered the officers to navigate the ship to a nearby island where small sampans and junks came out to meet them. Besides completely looting the passengers and crew, they usually carried off some of the wealthier ones, and huge ransoms were demanded for their release. On several occasions, resistance was offered by the crew, but this was usually met with disastrous results, officers and crew being murdered in cold blood and the vessel either crippled or burnt.
It will be sufficient to mention briefly some of the other principal events of the decade. In 1921 the Hong Kong War Memorial Cross was unveiled, and Captain (afterwards Admiral) E.R.G.R. Evans distinguished himself in rescue work when the s.s. Hong Moh went ashore on the Lammocks. On April 6 and 7, 1922, H.R.H. the Prince of Wales visited the Colony on his way to Japan. An endowment of $500,000 for Chairs of medicine and surgery at the University by the Rockefeller Foundation was announced at this time. In 1923 the Industrial Employment of Children Ordinance came into force, and a Mui Tsai Abolition Bill was passed by the Legislative Council. The Ceno- taph was unveiled on May 24. A very severe typhoon in August sank the Loong Sang and H.M.S. Submarine L19 in the harbour, besides doing much other damage. Negotiations (without result on account of cost) were made to effect removal of the military establishments to less valuable sites in the