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THE DRAGON MOTOR CAR CO., LTD. Telephone Central 1246 or 1247.
No. 25,779 HONG
83. Wong Nel Chung Road, Happy Valley,
AT NANKING.
CHIANG KAI-SHEK'S DIFFICULTIES.
NEW COMMANDERS.
A Lull In The North Kiangsu War Area.
Difficulties are again confronting the Nationalist Government at Nanking, where Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek is still trying to make possible the sitting of the fourth plenary session.
Meanwhile Chiang Kai-shek continues to appoint commanders of new army corps and to shuffle other commands about. The ob- ject, it is presumed, is to strengthen the position at headquarters of the commander-in-chief.
FUNDS WANTED.
ESTABLISHED
1848
KONG, SATURDAY, JANUARY 28, 1928.
EMPIRE EGGS,
Supplying the Home Breakfast.
VOLUNTARY PREFERENCE..
Russin Has Fallen Of As Producer.
PAPER MONEY.
Bottom Out of Canton Market.
GOVT. DECISION.
Efforts to Raise Loan Not Proving Successful.
PRICE, $3.00 Per Month.
WAR PREVENTION.
Duty Of League Council.
GERMAN MEMORANDUM,
Buidling A House From Roof Downward.
were
SOVIET OIL.
not
N. LAZARUS
Hong Kong's Only European Optician.
(Established Over Forty Years). Manager:RALPH A. COOPER, M.A.0.A., Registered Optometrist by Canadian Govt. Exam,
(Personal Attention).
A BAD START.
TRADE DEPRESSION AT CANTON
TWO MAIN REASONS.
Labour Tyranny and Financial Crisis Blamed.
GOVERNMENT AT FAULT IN REGARD TO UNION EXCESSES.
[By "Li Chung-yin."]
Labour union tyranny and the financial crisis:brought about by the banknote trouble are blamed jointly by an eminent Chinese writer for having been the principal contributory causes of the abnormally depressing conditions, under which trade in Canton starts for another year.
THE BANKNOTE ISSUE.
London, Yesterday. Highly unfavourable impres-
Berlin, Yesterday. Some interesting particulars are sions have been caused by the
The German Government in a contained in a report made by the Canton Government's decision to memorandum to the League Secur MR. SOONG ATTEMPTING TO RAISE WAR LOAN AT S'HALImperial Economic Committee on accept not more than twenty Ity Committee, which is at present the subject of eggs and poultry, per cent. of its own banknotes in meeting at Prague, expresses the It is stated that while this coun- payment of taxes, and paper opinion that the Committee's work try produces nearly half of the eggs money was refused widely in Can- should be practical and which it consumes, it spent in the ton yesterday,
theoretical. It urges the Committee year 1925 no less than £19,000,000 Several rumours are current as to propose measures for the speedy on imported eggs and £2,250,000 on to remedies which the Canton and effective intervention of the imported poultry from the Empire Government may possibly adopt League Council, whose duty is to and foreign sources. This country but the bottom has been knocked prevent armed conflict.
It is of opinion that the effec- requires annually somewhere about out of the market. Merchants 5,700,000,000 eggs.
estimate that the issue of the tiveness of all securities would be Out of every thousand eggs which Central Bank of China, Canton, greatly strengthened if general dis- it consumed in 1925, 433 were pro- (under the auspices of the Nation- armament finally reached. duced at home, 95 came from the alist authorities, amount to The creation of allied groups with- Curiosity is aroused as to which cause has been the more Irish Free State, five each from "several tens" of millions of dol. In the League with the object of potent. Both largely concern the present Provincial Government. Canada and South Africa, and three lars. No official buying quota protection against other League from Australia. There were 460tions are available either in Hong members might easily lead to a
For the setback due to unwarranted labour excesses, the adminis of foreign origin distributed chiefly Kong or Canton but it is thought breach and hinder joint action in tration is at fault for having encouraged the unions too far. For as follows: from China 138. Den- that the notes are still worth times of crisis. The problem must the collapse of the banknotes the Government cannot be held direct- According to news from Chin-lations between the Nanking and mark 121, Russin 47, Netherlands from 10 to 15 per cent of their be dealt with radically.
If occa- ese sources, Mr. T. V. Soong is Wu-Han parties, there is nobody 35, Egypt and Poland 22 cack, Bel-face value (in silver).
alons of war and the question of ly to blame.. Loan Efforts. still trying to obtain a loan or who underwrites the treasury gium 21, Italy 11, Latvia and
military sanctions are the basis of Negotiations by other
the Canton the Committee's work it would be temporary
at bonds on the security of 2.5 per Lithuania 27, and Argentina 10. revenue Shanghai as the needs of the cent, customs surtax, which Gen- It is evident, therefore, states the authorities to raise a loan, either like trying to build a house from Army are urgent.
eral Pei Tsung-hsi has brought report, that there is room for volun- from the public; or from outside the roof downward.-Reuter. Overnight cables state that the here for public subscription. tary preference on the part of home sources, have not been very suc- war area near Hsuchowfu and On accont of arbitrary acts of consumers in favour of Empire cessful. There is talk of $5,000,
Since its recent the Grand Canal in north Kiang-goldiers, continual activity of eggs. The report adds that where-000 loan, with Hong Kong fin-
return to Machinists' Union which is the su is quiet, the Nationalist forces bandits and atrocious acts of as just before the war Russia sup-
power, General Li Chai-sum's strongest single union in Canton, under Chiang Kai-shek's support- communists, the people in the plied 50 per cent. of imports of
Government has dealt with labour stands strongly against Com- ers having assembled number province are în extreme distress. eggs and Denmark 20 per cent. nów
with a strong hand. It is to be munism. -of engines on the Tientsin-Pukow
Government Shaky.
Russia, Latvia and Lithuania send
hoped that in its endeavour to Mr. Lockwood also draws atten- Railway without showing any
The Provincial Government, of only a small proportion, whilst
co-operate with the merchants, tion to a very interesting fact, disposition to
further with the provincials, as its ad- Denmark, Poland, the Netherlands,
the administration will not put which is:"Of 180 different north to join the Kuominchun which Chang Chih-peng is the Belgium, and China have substan
labour in the position of an unions, which have a membership against Peking.
Chief Commissioner, is unpopular tially increased their share and,
Washington, Yesterday. aggrieved party but will settle on of 290,620 persons employed in with the provincials, as ts, ad- taken together, represent 80 per
A report that the United States a policy fair to both sides.
industries or trades which have a ministration is bureaucratic. cent. of the trade from foreign
Shipping Board has ordered 24,000 Comment on the banknote total number of 485,268 workers, Judging from the foregoing. it sources. can hardly be said that the
tons of oil, presumably Russian, crisis is difficult because so many only 18,606 are able to read The displacement of
anciers as interested parties, but from the Standard Oil Company of vital features are either unknown newspapers, Russia by
and 77,882 are foundations of the Wu-Han Gov-Denmark, the Netherlands and Bel- nothing tangible has been done. New York to be delivered at Near or in dispute.
members of the Nationalist ernment are secure-Toho.
Another plan rumoured is that Eastern ports, has led the Govern- gium involves more than the sub-the Government will issue its own ment to deny that it thereby tacitly the Central Bank of China which
The paper money is issued by Party."
Kuomintang to Blame. stitution of one source of supply for notes, to be accepted at par in approved of trade relations between is maintained by the Government, another. Eggs coming from these payment of revenue.
A little over a year ago, when three countries
of are generally
the company and the Soviet. It is For months the notes
were at armed conflicts were taking place All methods, however, are cal- WIRELESS PROGRESS. superior quality, grading and pack-culated to give temporary relief officially stated that the Govern-par. The first scare came on in Canton over labour disputes, were received but not cure, and all are based on ment is now in no way involved in April 15 last when the authorities the authorities appointed a com- from Russia in pre-war days and pledging the receipts of the the transaction as the ordering of struck hard at the Communists mission to investigate. Inter command prices in London compar-Washington Customs Surtaxes......
oil is a matter of routine which is, but confidence was immediately alia, the commission reported: able, with those of English eggs,
carried out by the Shipping Board restored because, the coup was Further, the Introduction of mar
Money From Bankers. Pakkai (Kongmoon), Yesterday, of the oil is not specified-Reuter's
and in making contracts the source successful keting and expert regulations in the
Panic set in during August Irish Free State and Northern Ire- worthless here now and all re
Canton banknotes are almost American Service.
when Chiang Kai-shek resigned The Commercial Cable Company land, South Africa and Australia
his post of commander-in-chief of all the Nationalist forces. confirm the reports that they are in the last three years has caused venue offices of the Government
insist on silver coin. taking over the wireless station at a marked improvement in eggs re- Sayville, Long Island, with the ob-ceived from these sources.-British ject of opening a wireless service Wireless Service. to Europe.'
move
Troop Movements.
Shanghai, Yesterday.
A number of troop movements are reported in the Hupeh-Hunan arca. The 44th. Wu-Han Army, it is reported, has joined the 8th. Hunan Army which is treating from Changsha toward; Heungchowfu.
now re-
At Changsha the 35th. and 36th. Hunan Armies are resting, and have been joined by the 19th. Wu-Han Army.
Martial law is still in force at Hankow-British Naval Wire-
less.
Military Conference.
Peking, Yesterday.
SERVICE FROM AMERICA TO EUROPE.
PRIVATE ENTERPRISE.
L
New York, Yesterday.
It is generally believed that the conference of military officials are finding difficulties in connect- ion with the Presidential ques- tion, and it has been decided to . As soon as arrangements are com- shelve it till Feng Yu-hsiang has pleted with foreign Governments been eliminated.
the Company will bulld receiving
in . Efforts to
Europe. Reuter's persuade Chang stations Tsung-chang to accept the In American Service. spector-Generalship of Chikli and Shantung leaving Sun Chuan- fang in control of Shantung.have also evidently failed. Hence the only aparent result of the con- ference was its decision to attack Feng Yu-haiang.-Reuter.
Customs Control,
Shanghai, Yesterday. · Mr. T. V. Soong, the National-
ist Finance Minister, in a state-
MEXICAN FIGHT.
HEAVY ENGAGEMENT WITH REBELS.
OVER FIFTY KILLED,
Nogales (Arizona), Yesterday.
hundred rebela participated. There
were 37 rebels and 14 of the Federal
troops killed. Reuter's American Service.
ing to those who
PASTURE LANDS.
IMPERIAL ASSOCIATION
FORMING.
LORD BLEDIBLOE AS CHAIRMAN.
London, Yesterday.
It is officially announced
FLYING BOATS,
THE FIRST ROUND-INDIA
of China, producing nearly 70 per Ixtlan, Jalisco, between cent, of the Customs Revenue and troops and rebels, in which several pire.Reuter. as the authorities in control in Peking no longer represent the legal successor of former recog- nised government, the Nationalist Government clearly cannot recog- nise the right of any other authorities independently to exer- cise contral 'of the Customs Ad-' ministration or to appoint an agent to exercise such control,"
It is understood that Marshal Chiang Kai-shek has abandoned all hope of holding_the_Fourth Plenary Conference at Nanking. -Reuter.
BLANCO IBANEZ.
SPANISH NOVELIST SERIOUSLY ILL
FLIGHT.
9,000 MILES COVERED.
that
WEATHER FORECAST.
East wind, moderate, is the official weather forecast until noon-to-morrow.
On China New Year. Eve, the local military authorities obtained $15,000 in silver and $30,000 in notes from the Bankers' Guild [for payment to the troops. A quantity of notes was deposited with the Kongmoon Chamber of Commerce for, loan at half the face value. A subsequent trans- action was arranged according to the rate of exchange (for Canton notes) in Hong Kong!
How Trade Suffers.
THE RED SCARE.
Vigilance Maintained· Lasi ·
Night
Conditions akin to martial law. Calcutta, Yesterday. prevailed in "Cantón city last The R.A.F. flying boats have night even though the authorities alighted on the Hooghli. They have acted with dispatch in re
.
ORDER
ORDER BY U.S. SHIPPING BOARD.
NO OFFICIAL APPROVAL.
APPOINTMENTS.
The Canton Government asked the bankers, merchants and shop- The following appointments are keepers, for a loan of $10,000,000 announced in to-day's "Gazette" to be used specifically for main- Second-Lieutenant Robert Spierstaining the note issue. In some Logan to the rank of Lieutenant in cases, 44 per cent. of the regis the Hong Kong Volunteer Defence tered capital had to be paid to the Corps, with effect from January 20, loan. This drain on resources
proved very serious to many.
1928.
to be Captain, H.K.V.D.G.
Second Lieutenant Charles Peake Anderson, M.C., to be Lieutenant, H.K.V.D.C.
Police, soldiers and the volun-
Situation.
with.
The admission of labour into the Kuomintang (Nationalist Party) without a definite idea as to what its place in the Party would be is one of the chief causes of labour trouble in Canton......The Kuomintang has been relying on numbers only in the unions and many members have used the in- fluence of the Party for selfish purposes.
during recent years.
Costs of living in Canton have risen considerably during the last.
1913
Canton
100.0.
Shanghai. 100.0
168.1 (Jan.) 1474
168.3.
148.7
170.3
141.3
152.5
It will thus be seen that the Kuomintang, through its voice in Lieutenant Thomas Addis Martin, However, the notes remain the Government, was essentially at par until Nov. 17 when the at fault. But there were other Ironsides overthrew General Li causes of dissatisfaction, not all
Notes of which have been removed. Chai-sum's Government.
.On Dec. were then discounted.
High Cost of Living. 1, the Communists broke out in Lord Bledisloe, who is on his way, Bad business has prevented
Canton but it was subsequently Bulletin"The cost of labour in Said the "Chinese Economic home from South America, is re-about three-tenths of the Kong-
announced that the Central signing his post as Parliamentary moon shops from re-opening after Secretary to the Ministry of Agri- the holidays and about two-tenths Year because trouble was anti- Bank's strong-rooms had remain- Kwangtung has been very high
led intact. culture in order to take up the have been hard hit by the bank-cipated.
Before the end of December, chairmanship of the Imperial Grasa note bubble having burst. The United States Consul, Mr. land Association, which is being Rice mills at Kongmoon, which teer militia combined in rigorous General Li Chai-sum's Govern-
few years and more so than, say, ment given to Reuter says: "As | Mazatlan, who has arrived the Nationalist Government con- Nogales, reports that there was a Imperial
at formed under the auspices of the have closed down to avoid friction searches of labour unions and ment had been restored.
in Shanghai. Taking the 1913 Chemical Industries, with employees, are still idle al-abodes of suspected characters. Some time between Nov. 17 figures as par (100), the follow- trols 16 out of the 21 provinces heavy engagement last week at Limited, with the object of improv though the local authorities have At night craft were prohibited and now, the silver reserve in ing statistics make interesting Federal ing the pasture lands of the Em-sealed up the men's guild. Only a from passing along the channel the Bank has been tampered reading, being the index of whole-
few are working.-Our Own Cor-}from Pakkai (the port) to Kong-
sale prices of "all commodities.". respondent.
moon (the city). A steam launch
All kinds of allegations have. had several volleys fired at her been made, against various fac for failing to answer the militions but it has not been proved 1928 (year) tary guards but nobody was who is responsible. Notes were 1925 (Jan.) struck. Our own correspondent. still accepted by the Government 1926 (Jan.) until this Thursday when it was 1926. (Dec.) WAR NEWS,
178.6 decided that payments of revenue
Regulations of the Past. 'must be in silver as to 80 per cent. Canton Govt. Troops Control and the balance in paper. The
Typical of the regulations pass- proverbial last straw has prac-ed in Canton when the Kuomin tically broken the camel's back, tang pandered to labour of With the exception
The outlook is very pessimistic.. the following:- Mentone, Yesterday. have covered 9,000 of the 23,000 regard to the new series of Com- rumour in Hong Kong business
A firm or factory suspending The condition of the Spanish miles programme without a mishap. munist plota, das į
circles yesterday that. Swatow Causes Other Than Communism.
In normal circumstances, the business or operations shall novellat, Blanco Ibanez, is disquiet- It is the first round-India flight, Vigilance was maintained at a was uneasy over the outcome of
notify its employees one month Ing. He is suffering from Broncho- which opens up possibilities of high pitch yesterday as the Police the fighting in the hinterland, Government's change of front to-
in advance and pay a month's Pneumonia and Diabetes.-Reuter. other Empire air routes.
had word that Red plotters had news of the Canton Government's wards labour would have bred an
extra wages, but any firm or The flight touched, inter alia, induced dissatisfied labour ele- campaign against the Ironsides optimistic tone, especially as the
political and military outlook is factory closing without good. Karachi, Bombay, Mangalore, ments to be ready for another cotinues to be favourable.
reason shall pay two months* The total casualties suffered not unfavourable. A short re- Cochin, Colombo, Trincomalee, rising...
extra wages. Cocanada, Chilkalake, and Madras. Later information about anti- by both sides runs into thousands. sume of labour's position in The fire brigade received a call-Reuter.
Red activity just before New It is definitely established that Canton's maelstrom is, therefore, 52 Bonham Strand, East. yesterday to a charcoal shop, at
Year is that a body, of 600 Com- the Ironsides were routed and not out of place.
Justice is not done by accusing The fire
munista had hidden in the city that the Canton Government HELENA MAY LECTURE.
with the sole object of incendiar forces are masters of the situa- Communist influence as being the other causes, the Hupeh Provin- found later that a faulty electric throws May on Monday, Feb ing $800; that altogether ninety River basins.
There will be a public lecture at lem, the reward for each fire betion between the East and Han root of labour troubles. As Mr. George E... Sokolsky says;—— "There is, of course, the obvious cial Government, which had a fuse was responsible for the out-ruary 6, at 5.30 p.m. Subject "Eva- arrests were made (forty having
Kongmoon Garrison. monthly revenue of seven to cight | break.
explanation of Bolshevik pro- intion of the Intelligence by Dr. been previously reported as cap- Pakkai (Kongmoon), Yesterday paganda, but it is too easy
tured and summarily executed); The present garrison here con- and that Government forces sists of troops under General LI The public's attitude towards the fought a skirmish with a Pea Chat-sum, belonging to the unit workers is perhaps an indirect sants' Corps detachment for known as the Kwangtung De- cause of discontent.
Labour Statistics. about an hour, on New Year's fence Corps, with headquarters st
The power of Red influence is Eve, in the environs of the city. Kongmoon.
Martial Law at Kongmoon Red Cross units have been discounted by Mr. Edward H. Pakkai (Kongmoon), Yesterday, sending coffing towards Bat Ngok Lockwood in July, 1927, in words Martial law was maintained at so that it is thought that some as follows: "It is believed gen Kongmoon even during daylight fighting has broken out there on the first three days of the New Our own correspondent.
HANKOW FINANCE.
Extreme Distress in Hupeh.
Hankow, Jan. 15.,
Probably owing to insufficiency
of control over the troops station-
ed in various localities and
FAULTY FUSE.
was soon under control and very to Httle damage was done. It was
million dollars in normal times, is
at present obtaining only $8,000,-
000 from the Hankow district,
The Chinese General Chamber
WANDERING- LUNATIC.
2.
J. L. Shellshear.
BITTEN BY MONGREL of Commerce here has no more A Chinese male was found wan financial reserve, as it has already dering by the Police around the A Chinese male, Lal Po-ngsu, been forced by General Cheng vicinity of No. 8 The Peak yester- aged 48, residing at 87 Albemy Chlen's Army to make a loan of day. When questioned, he said he Street, was bitten on the leg by $3,000,000.00
had no work and no place to sleep, mongrel dog owned by Chan Ni-po He was later sent to the Lunatic residing at 3 Old Bailey Street Asylum as he was found to be The, dog has been sent to Kennedy
Town for examination.
People In Distress, de Owing to the unfavourable re- insane.
a
erally that the General Federa- tion of Labour, headed by the
Were
Employees returning to work after a strike shall be entitled to wages during the period of the strike reckoned according to the increased scale...
First Signs of Moderation, First signs of moderation in the official attitude of sympathy for labour were evident in the
dual workers and unions were ex following extract of what indivi-
pected not to do:
Exercise power of arrest of merchants or deprive persons of personal liberty,
Appropriate goods for own
(Continued on Page 12.)