.
THE CHINA MAIL SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1969.
/`Page 17.
THIS HONGKONG
The Hongkong Police
THE story of the Hongkong Police Force they
were brought up 10 appreciate that their very means
people's properly.
The early papers speak with elckening monotony casas where pirates have been
of Court
over the past hundred years is a of livelihood was taking other
a ceasclass struggle against story of organised crime. Generally, the public is totally
habits of the unaware procedure of the Chinese criminal classes.
and apprehended and sentenced..
petually
Evan th000 not engaged in piracy vero Jn-
sail Hongkong.
to
A casual glance through the paper informs formers for the pirates, report the ordinary reader that an arrest has been made, from Hong Goes about or that a member of a triad' society has received a pretty severe sentence.
*
Chinese No self-respecling_ dreamed of getting in Hongkong.
It can be said that nowhore is so much inspired criticism from uninformed sources directed at an institution-of which the public, at Why should he? In those days Jarge, knows nothing.
clination.
Always is there criticism-habitants were of criminal in- rarely is there praise; one con- not oppreciate the marvellous job the Hongkong Police Force does, until one has lived in Asin beyond their, Jurisdiction.
As a Force, they carly came in for criticism as reference to my article on "The First Tourists" polnis out,
The newcomer to Hongkong. tourist, hus no or the casual conception, of what. the police are up against.
Aslatle criminal Societies are highly organised, and those in Hongkong are no exceptions. It has been so from the
carifest dayn of this Colony.
On the take-over of the Island
At what we now call West Polni, Central District, and East Point, were former pirate strongholds..
it wox unhealthy place, and your affluent Chinese bad his beautiful house in Canton, or elsewhere on the mainland,
The best that happened was that after a time, when the Chinese merchant was convinced that the British were going to malov go at the place," he cutablished his hong here.
But it was years before that happened.
by
JOHN LUFF
But one factor more than any
ether has made the task of the police singularly dmcult in Hongkong, and that is quite early In Ito history it becamo an asylum for the Triad Societies who fled before the remorseless Chinese Government.
When they are caught, they generally cocive a stiff sentence but on the other hand, their sentence does not impose hardships entertained by the casual criminal.
the
Flest, there is ttle stigma in being a gaol-bird if one is a Triad.
Dr Ellel, the first historian of this Colony, a man who knew
Secondly, if the member is in China and the Chinese well, put good standing. his domestic it this way In his Europo in responsibilities will be taken China: "Sir John Davis jound care of. himself handicapped in his
and Thirdly, efforts to suppress crime (like every other Governor of Hong- degenerated to this, the kong) by the constant influx of criminals from the mainland."
it hns
terror
the Trind societies wield 19
greater than can over be inflicted upon Queir individual members by a British Police Force.
who
Wo hear of members plead they have been toread to Bitel further says: "The fallure join, That is highly probable. of the police to prevent erime Strangely enough, Triad ordinary activity was unavoidable as the extra- Societies originated as ethical of Chinese societies, a
form of Asiatic criminals
the naturel Freemasonry,
The Triad were corollary of the the
Talping and three holy ones, and for the Trizd Rebellions,
the and as police force was deficient in
of ritual took upon numerical strength from Anancial considerations.
The village of Chek Chu, now Stanley, was a pirate village the womenfolk being engaged in making gun powder for pirate Chul Apo.
Lye Mun was another pirate stronghold.
The pirates were mere or less blown out of the water by the Royal Navy, but the people who
of a behind were remained
of Hongkong, most of the in- criminal class in the sense thot
Then as I have pointed out elsewhere, the milder British, Inws attracted the evil-doer, and Sir John Pope-Hennessy's un- popular regime was largely due to the fact that he wanted to frAroduce milder legislation in dealing with the criminal classes. A protest aceting informed him thuil under his rule, the life of Hongkong's citizens would not be worth a cent.
-BEAUTY ́OR BRAINS ?.
พกล
You can be sure that aknost every nofarious institution in this Colony is under control of the Triads.
QUEEN OF SPIES
THE most notorious spy of all time
calmly faced the firing squad.
Just before the order was given to fire, Mata Hari, an exotic figure in a low-cut gown, waved a white gloved hand, and blew a kiss to her execu- tioners.
That final languid gesture made Mata Hari a legend, the prototype of fiction's beautiful spies. The date was October, 15, August 7, 1876. Her father was 1017; the place Vincennes, gear of Dutch origin, her mother Paris.
Javanese.
A
few
-by-
REX LOPEZ
All that is known is that she lved in Holland, her father's
Mata Hari was in her lute twenties when she went to Paris, jobless but ambitious.
He became the focus of her dreams of wealth and, wanton
PHOTOGRAPH tàken about sixty years ago showing the Time ABall Tower on its former ace near the Water Police Station. The sieur
is down Canton Road, The godowns as we know them now, had not yet been built.
· ·
increasing criminal activities. warranted to send up the blood going to get the type of chap
The wrongdoers a bloodless clvii who makes a good policeman?
poured in, pressure of servant,
What they meant I suppose was and the young Police Forre The next thing we hear isp-Quis custodlet ipsos curtodes? was merely swamped under. "The Land Officer went to the As ever, good old Scotland In 1848, Sir J. Bonham fermed Jot with some policemen and Yard solved the difficulty, and a colectivo ranch. In charge he hauled the flag down."
Mr C. May, an Inspector of K. placed Mr B. R. Caldwell with Division of the Metropolitan the appointment of Assistant Police was placed in command Superintendent. of the Hongkong. Forco at a
The next reference is in the samo year. The European police are always reporting sick after night duty, potably, I suppose, from some form of malaria.
There were at that lime flirty European policemen, and their efforts were supplemented by there of walchmes employed by themselves human form together the large hongs, and European with a legend.
householders.
purposes
The initiate underwent, and probably does now, form of Initiation. They then took upon
themselves a, politient form, bul are now utterly criminal.
Their signs are crude, the form of three generally Identifying one with another,
Messrs Jardine, Matheson & Co. employed twelve of these walehmen at a total cost of £50 a month.
The watchmen signified their wakefulness by beating barnboo drums. This placed the Europeans in a dilemmo. If the were watchman banged his drum to many prove he was awake, ho also
were kept everyone else awake.
During the last years of the Nationalist regime, they particularly powerful, as of their
lodge lenders also in political oflee."
!
Just before the fall of Shanghai тапу o! their leaders made their
Way to Hongkong to add further to the burden of the Hongkong Police Force.
It
So loud and bitter complaints rolled into Government, - and on Ordinance put a slop to the practice.
salary of £500 a year, and two Sergeants were appointed at the same time at salaries of £250 a year.
Instructions were given that the Hongkong Police
By this time, the Hongtong Force was seriously Police reduced in numbers.
Force Whether from sickness should be recruited from the casualties I do not know, but it
Military and Marines in China, comprised only 134 men, 40 in 1844. And that good pay should be Europeans less than
Furthermore, the whole force offered.
One carmot help but admire was unguliable. the sound commonsenso that The Europeans had no police governed the very first instruc- experience, and abandoned dise tons concerning the Polleo cipline mediately they left The fodians Force. It was obvious from the their regiments, start that to get tho in-
from Bombay and Madras wero corruptible type of man neces-
not good policemen, The Chinese eary, it was necessary also to pay who were recruited from the him well.
lowest classes were scandalously underpală.
There was a further proviso that any man who miscor ducted himself should be returned to the ranks from whence he came.
**
There was an improvement in 1850, and during the next three years there was less Scricuz erine committed.
cipline and general efficiency.. the Police Fence had improved.
Central fnd West Point Stations were ecmplated in 1857. The immediate result of this
Accordingly, a force of 78 Following this the position was a lange increase in crime.
until the improved 40 further Erioperas, 34 Indians, and Armed robberies took place Chinese was formed
upon the Governor, Sir J. Bowring ex- with a terrible monotony
model of Mo Royal Irish pressed his opinion that in during 1843, and
even Constabulary. They were im- appearance, deportment, dis- Government House:
was mediately
dubbed "green- entered and burgled.
Jackela" by the Chinese. Meanwhile, daylight robberies and piracies were too numCTOUS to mention. It was at this stage when it became compulsory for all Chinese to carry a lantern at night; and 1 re-emphasise that this was at the same time when the Viceroy at Cahien informed his regel master · that not one
The average European cannot appreciate the lengths to which ly, Mata sel ou to ensnare these people will dare, nor com- native country, long enough to place her daughter in a con- hin, To some extent she prehend their capacity to exploit succecded. At least, he bought their own people. The present vent there.
ber a house at Neuilly-sur-Government' of China under
them only to well. Seine. But her German lover lood
com When took very litle time to had his own designs. war broke out, Mala's love nest perstrually I think the success of moved to the Island, a point became the nerve-centre of the
the Chinese Government is stressed a year later when Mr dealt with this parasite trash in sometiene Colonial Treasurer, the only way it could be dealt suggested that the British vacatu Д worthless criminal rkiden Island.
The gay elty captivated her.
pletely smith them. And respectable Chinese person had
her father died, her She Joved the bright lights, the German spy system In France.largely due to the fact that they (Misery) Montgomery Marlin,
nightclub-and the men she met in them.
But Math herself played very little pari in it. She had many
with.
So much theu, for the major
the DA
Hongkong
headache
When months earlier, a French military tribunal bad, mother fled with her to Burma found Mata Hari guilty of where she hoved Morguerlie's
And men liked her. She was
of the qualifications of a spy. Ceplonage, and sentenced her to nixed blood would not be so
a tall, clegunt woman, with jet death.
resented,
black hair and dark eyes, She As a Dutch citizen she was at The girl was sent 10 a had a strange
liberty to travel freely in all attractiveness of the Buddhist That Mata was one
temple where shu
that could easily be mistaken the Allied countries. She spoke most dangerous women in the learned the art of dancing and for beauty and often was. German, French, Dutch and Police Force. history of espionage cannot be was given the name, Mata Hari
English fluently. And she had In Matu's day, there were few doubled. That she was also one Eye of the Morning.
When do we first hear of the situations for
charm enough to loosen the respectable # of the cleverest, as many have
But are we tongues of any officers and police tairing action in Hong wernur in Paris, claimed, is not borne out by the
But the kong? Quite carly. It happened Fangs government offelals. not interested in respectability lacked the intelligence to get this way: As you probably know facts,
Her sole talent was dancing, and her natural habitat the way with it,
So she becarne a When she was 14 she met and nightclub, captivated # British officer, semi-nude snake dancer, earn- passionate courtship, they were
Aller a briefing a living in sleazy Left Bank
cabarets.
Her exatle looks and doring and went to live in dances earned her local fame, married, India where McLeod Was
but when she made a bid for serving.
the 'London stage she bluntly turned down.
These show that it was her naivety that made her dangerous and finally brought her own downfall.
What kind of person was she, this woman who was held res ponsible for the death of thou sands of men?
named McLeod.
Mata, as she now called her- self, had two children by McLeod, a boy and a girl. Her She was aid to beetriisingly died, and suspecting that he beautiful, vivacious, elegant, in been polsoned, Mala scied Fixing the blumo ruthlessly. potterssor of a magnetle per-
on a servant, she took a revolver conality capable of turning men's heads by a
combination-and-shot-him-dead and
ot charm clever,
cunning--and
While her husband tried to be.
was
by now, the only land available So Mata Hari became a mere in Victoria. a hundred years ago, tool in the hands of more was that narrow strip which capable spies, especially of the skirted what is roughly Queen's
real mastermind in the Ger-Road, man spy network in France- the women who posed as her naid, Fraulein Doktor.
were
Well, this lantern carrying business did keep things down a bit as obviously, the criminal advertise their presence,
not going to
In 1841, Captain Haly, of the Infantry, was Madras Native appointed Superintendent Police.
of
This seems to have been an appointment in the official senso of the word, for when Captain Haly was required with his regiment, Captain Bruce of the
Socretory
It was Fraulein Doktor, who selected Mata Hari's victims, I am afraid there was quite a Royal Irish Regiment acted for and briefed her on what secret | scramble for it, Government him in the Police appointment. information to obtain from taking all the best 'slies, the 'Süll in' 1844, and it is felt them. It was she who sent Navy the better, and the Army arcessary
sat
regularly ...back the information in coded aniocosmarily requirkigura allen constituted Walloc_Force should
near the water front, all that be formed. .messages to Berlin. Mata took the setback philoso- And it was Fraulein Doktor was best a little way in.
Govenutient was much
mone humble in those daya
before phiently. After all, she was on who eventually disposed of Mato her way to where she wanted to that by informing the French The merchants also wanted to rating atly
be at the water's edge, so they Colonial She was meeting lots of authorliles of
her
issed a activities cover up the scondol that men-men who equid afford to when the Germans suspected did the best they could. In circular to all the principle mer-
evidence before Parliament, Mr The truth is she had all those followed, Mato left India with lavish on her the luxuries she Mata Hari of double-crossing Matheson treely admitted beat- chants in Hongkong qualities but the last. But, at her daughter,
The merchants, being whal craved for. Among the many them, first,
ing Government to it, and then they were in those days, cer- Just before she died in a daring them to move him on. who shared her favours was an 1
of the Beriln Govern- Zurich
a polles dainly wanted woman of easy morals, clever the time she left her husband official
annatorium in August nes was not necessary.
until she turned up in Paris at medt. But to Mata his position 1934, Fraulein Dokter, confessed Well, in 1842 a Mr Fearin, fed which would put down She was born Marguerite the turn. of the century is meant less than the fact that he, to her doctor: "Mata Hari was up with walling for Govern- but with a minimum of inter Gertrud Zelle in Java, on
WDS
very rich
my protegee. But I had to see ment to make up its mind just derence with their own neilvities.
The circular went out on July that she was removed.. Sho staked a clam by hoisting his
3rd-1844, and the answer the was becoming a danger to every flag on a lot.
Colonial Secretary received was German agent in France."
In effect: By all means have a Police Force, but where are you ↑
as an
adventuress,
What happed to her from
mystery.
Government told him to shift. He answered in 21 manner
force
crime
The Harbour Police were not included in this force because they came under the Chinese Revenue Service, in accordance with a clause in a Treaty.
However, this small force was bolpicas before the over
an-
In 1950, a station was bullt at Stanley, and in 1800 other ond was opened CLE Shaukiwan. Two others were built in 1862, and then, after d period of improvement, things began to go very torong Indeed.
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months
Mata Hari danced in sleazy. Left Bank
The true facts about Mata Hari's career as a spy were. never revealed.
But in his memoirs, Major Thomson Coulson, head at the British Secret Service, said that, at least 50,000 men lost their Ilves because of her..
Mata Hari did, in fact, become a "double spy" by Joining the French Secret Service while sho was still in German pay. She was on a melon for the Allies when Fraulein Doktor tricked her by arranging for several coded messages to Borlin apparently from Mato-to fali Into the hands of the French.
Then she deposited 10,000 franen in Mata Härl's name is Paris bank.
E
When Mata Hari returned Paris, officers of the: Burets were walling for her, w
M. Andre Mornet, the pro- secutor who prosented the CREP "thaƒ mont-Mata Hari to the dring #quad, wai .once asked if the had been ‘as beautiful is logod
·would have tier.
Doanty? In the interest of "history"-ko!” ~
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