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PA RAPHRASE TELEGRAM From the Governor of Hong Kong to Secretary of State for the Colonies.
Dated 17th July.
(Received Colonial Office 3.5 p.m. 17th July, 1925)
Your telegram of 16th July. On the 9th of July I passed !
e regulation under the Emergency Regulations Ordinance to permit any person being flogged for preventing or endeavouring to prevent by violence or threatening violence, another person from doing anything which he might legally do. Offences against the Seditious Publications Ordinance and Offencess under Section 22 of the Summary Offences Ordinance were also made punishable by flogging. After further consideration I was advised that the Emergency Ordinance does not empower me to impose such punishments by Regulation .
On the 16th of July I accordingly passed validating Ordinance.
I have not had to use the powers since the threat to do so
in the restoration has put an end to intimidation. This has resulted to a great extent of the confidence of the workers, many of whom ere returning to work. The Chinese as well as the European population warmly approve the policy of flogging which is considered to be the only means of putting down widespread terrorism organized from Canton. Two murders had already been committed and there had been one case of bomb throwing. Moreover it was supposed that gangs of assasins were being sent from Canton. My threat was not directed against the
ordinary Hong Kong labourers but against imported scoundrels of this sort. I wish to repeat with emphasis that the present situation is the result of an attempt by the Cantonese to ruin Hong Kong by terrorising (Group omitted) into desertion.
It is not a strike for industrial reasons.