Copy.
(D)
H, B. V. Consulate-General,
Shanghai, 25th February, 1922.
422
.1
1
1
termut and cu cumdan vi ad qilmajke vorteba zet
1
video di of maniora odtrh
A
budu zen nézou quo vottaler
日
rezi? Candidown-Indej egit to soap As al dud joure i
I.
jon åderserb Bryde
I
sir.
With reference to my despatch of the 10th instant the subject of the Semen's Strike at Hongkong, I have the honour to infom Your Excellency that the following statement was made yesterday to his cployer by the head of the large Chinese staff of a British firm here, which is closely connect- ed with Chinese shippin; affairs.
The intelligence supplied by the informant during the war was of great assistance to the intelligence Bureau here.
He states that quite recently a letter was received in Canton by the relatives of a Chinese sailor now in Canton, of which the gist was as follows; -
"Strike delsgates were appointed by, Dr. Sun Yat Sen and his Goverment. They in turn informedthe crews of the different ships arriving and already in dort that the time was ripe to strike for higher wages and with the Southern Covernment behind the their demands were sure to be granted. They, the sailors, were infomed that arrangements had been made for them to proceed direct to Canton where they would be provided with food and quarters and where they would have the protection of the Government. In return for this assistance, 50% of the increased wage was to be pele into the Union for a stated period, this sm to be handed over to the Southern Government as the seaman'ı contribution to help finance the Southern troops in their campain against the North,
Or. arrival in Canton the men wore provided with both food and quarters but on the tenth day the food supply was stopped and when the men applied for assistance to return to hongkong and rejoin their ships they were told that no periusion would be given to leave Canton and if they required food they could join the Southern any, in which case both food and clothing would be provided them,
ihe majority of the men considered they had been both misled and badly treated and wished to retum to their ships but were too frightened to do so."
The informant adds that quite a number of the better class Chinese have discussed the contents of the latter and believe that Sun Yat den is the sole cause of the strike, having
engineered it as a means of raising funds for his campaign
against the Korth,
His Excellency
Sir R. E. Stubbs, K.CM.G.,
Qoyuymer of Hongkang,