aft 22
Counter Propaganda among Chinese abroad.
447
63. When the shooting incident in Shanghai was followed by similar unfortunate events in Hankow and Canton, the latter involving considerable loss of life, Chinese opinion became violently anti-British. This was particularly true of the Over- seas Chinese, who showed their sympathies by making large remittances to Shanghai and, later, to Canton, to assist the strikers. In endeavouring to overcome this feeling we adopted the same procedure as in our local propaganda, beginning gently We but increasing our effort as our first measures took effect. sent our leaflets and the Kung Sheung" to centres in America, Australia, the Indies, and other places; and we arranged for occasional private letters to be sent by selected men to the friends. When we calculated that this literature had reached their destination, and had had time to work its influence, we arranged for the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, the Associa- tion of the Twenty-four Mercantile Guilds, and the Committee of the Tung Wah Hospital to send a telegram to the Overseas Chinese, translation of which is given below:-
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66
The present commotions in Canton which are ruining the trade and industries of Canton and Hongkong and bringing calamity to workmen and merchants alike are beyond all doubt due to the Canton Government's outright adopting of Russian Bolshevist principles. The control of all the naval and military forces has passed entirely into the hands of Russians. It has been definitely decided to put Com- munism in force and impose a levy on all building construc- tion and house. property. A reign of terror is being inaugurated throughout the Province to the unspeakable dis- tress of its population. If assistance is not speedily given this poisonous tide of Bolshevism will steadily grow until it engulfs the whole of China beyond hope of redemption. We on the spot see with our own eyes the appalling nature of the situation. But we fear that our friends in distant parts of the world may not realise the truth, and are therefore addressing you in order that all may know the facts. implore you not to be misled by lying propaganda. From the Chinese Chamber of Commerce, the Tung Wah Hospital and the Association of Twenty-four Mercantile Guilds of Hongkong."
We
64. The tung Wah Committee is widely known and universally respected among Overseas Chinese, but had never before taken any part in politics. Their association with the despatch of the telegram undoubtedly added considerable weight to it. In reply to the message powerful associations, which till then had been silent, began to cable to China and Hongkong for further infor- mation, and almost all Chinese public bodies stopped sending remittances. In two cases, however, abusive replies were received, but on the other hand the moderate section of the Kuomintang was encouraged by our success to send telegrams abroad condemning the Reds.
65. The evidence of the anti-Red attitude of the Overseas Chinese continues to accumulate. On the 15th October the Chi Kung Tong, the largest and most powerful association in North
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