[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
CHINA TRADE.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[5388]
(Confidential.)
C.O.
8783
RECO
REGE 12 MAR OC
No. 1.
February 9.]
SECTION 1.
Colonial Office to Foreign Office.-(Received February 9.)
THE Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies presents his compliments to the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and is directed by the Secretary of State to transmit, for the information of Secretary Sir E. Grey, with reference to the letter from the Colonial Department of the 29th December, copies of the Secret despatches from the Governor of Hong Kong (and inclosures) on the subject of the boycott of Japanese goods in Hong Kong.
Downing Street, February 8, 1909.
(Secret.) My Lord,
Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
Governor Sir F. Lugard to the Earl of Crewe.
Government House, Hong Kong, November 25, 1908. IN continuation of my Secret despatch of the 12th instant I have the honour to transmit the inclosed copy of a Report by the Captain Superintendent of Police on the riots of the 1st and 2nd instant, together with a return by the Police Magistrate of the cases brought before him in connection with the riots, and a copy of the depositions at the inquest on the Chinese, Chu Loi, who was shot.
2. I have also, with the advice of Executive Council, banished P'un Lan-sz, editor of the "Shat Po" newspaper under the Banishment Ordinance of 1882, for publishing in his paper the ballad of which I inclose a translation; and I have further, with the advice of Executive Council, banished Ch'an Lo-ch'un and Chiu Shin-pak, under Ordinance 10 of 1886, for overt acts in promotion of the boycott committed by them since my Proclamation of the 3rd instant,
3. I have also directed the Registrar-General to warn Kwok Yik-chi, Ch'an Chun-pang and Ch'an Lok-ch'un that they are suspected of complicity in the recent disturbances of the peace, and will be banished if found to take any further part in the boycott movement; and, finally, I have caused Ch'ue Kwan-min to be warned that he will at once be banished if the "Sheung Po" newspaper contains any further allusion, open or veiled, to the boycott. This newspaper had for some time before the riots occurred been in the habit of indulging in veiled threats against such Chinese merchants as did not participate in the boycott.
4. On the 14th instant one of the leading Chinese merchants of the Colony handed the Colonial Secretary a list of six persons who he said were very prominently connected with the proceedings which led up to the disturbances of the 1st and 2nd instant. The names of these persons were "Hoa Tso-wan, Leung Sui-hing, Tsang Yan-po, Ch'an Hang-kiu, Nip Kun-man, and Ng Hin-om. The information so given to the Colonial Secretary was confirmed by the Captain Superintendent of Police, and in most cases by the Registrar-General also, and their names had also been mentioned in letters from the Vice-Consul for Japan in this Colony as actively promoting the boycott. I con- sidered their case in Executive Council on the 23rd instant, the Captain Superin- tendent of Police being present. The Council unanimously advised that all the six should be banished; and under Ordinance 10 of 1886 a period of seven days has been fixed for their departure from the Colony.
5. There has been no further disturbance of the peace since the 2nd instant, but it is as yet too early to ascertain whether the banishment of these prominent members of the Chinese community will put an end to the boycott of Japanese goods.
I have, &c. (Signed)
F. D, LUGARD.
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