380/16
HKK 300/548/1.
REPORT FROM HONG KONG.
Hong Kong, Sa
TWO PRECIOUS POSSESSIONS LOST.
V1977
Alin + 24/4201??
Pet'77
See 198 1108) (107
Hong Kong, Britain's mini-colony of some 380 square miles comprising Hong Kong Island, Korloo nd the NEW TERRITORIES, her last bastion in the Far East, has, over the past 14 days out two very precious possessions.
Whether she regains them is a matter of conjecture, but if she does not the losses will escalate and the prosperity and life of the colony is doomed.
What has she lost? Why has she lost them?
lost them?
Who has
To answer these questions one must look a little at the history of Hong Kong. Hong Kong was accepted by a Captain Elliot on behalf of the British Government as part reparation at the end of the so-called "Opium War", in the early 1840's. The Island came into British hands first, followed by Kowloon, on the Chinese mainland and in 1397 the British leased the New Territories from the Chinese for a period of 100 years. The Chinese most certainly got the "inty eal of the stick'.
Jandue 2 Matheson
The war was forced upon the Chinese by Palmerston, the then Foreign Minister of the British Government and two Christian bigots, Messrs. Jardine and Matheson, Jardine & Matheson were the largest concern trading in opium, there were many others, not all British it may be added in fairness. Russell's was an American firm. Ostensibly to save the economy of India, but in actual fact, to save their own and others financial skins these two commercial pirates decided that mainland China presented a very good market for their opium. Suffice it to say here that by various devious and criminal methods they managed to attain their ends in spite of the Chinese Emperor's protesta. When China got tough and fought back Matheson and Jardine persuaded Palmerston to support a call for war against China. Palmerston it may be added needed little persuasion. The wer encued, the Chinese lost and so the British demanded reperationa present day Hong Kong was born.
Same methods still in vogue
Although Elliot was sacked for accepting Hong Kong because Palmerston regarded it as only a barren piece of rock inhabited by a few fisherman, it continued to grow. It could not help but grow when being fertilised by the proceeds of drug running, high pressure salesmanship, business methods devious but legal; immoral but socially accepted by those dealing in then and profiting from them; criminally negligopt but unindictable.