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Canton Soviet or with the Canton Strike Committee in
spite of considerable provocation, typical instances of
which are the following:-
(a) On the 26th August,1925, a Chinese fort near Canton fired on a party of Japanese marines who were
assisting a Japanese steamer that had run aground. One marine was killed and two wounded. The Japanese authorities
protested both at Peking and at Centon and contented themselves with the explanation and apology given by the Canton authorities (Report on Foreign Affairs, Vol. vi., No. 4, p. 355).
(b) The Japanese steamer "Yai Maru" has in recent
months been pirated no less than three times in the
West River. The last time the pirates literally cleaned her out, taking even pens and pencils from the desks,
(c) The Japanese steamer "Tokei Maru" arrived at
Canton on the 17th December last from Keelung. Spies
in Hong Kong are reported to have informed the Canton Strike Committee that she stopped in this Colony and loaded general cargo. On arrival in Canton she was boarded by armed pickets and declared confiscated".
She lay thus in Canton for no less than 76 days, when
(according to information supplied to me by Colonel
Hayley Bell) she was released upon payment by the owners
of 30% of the value of the cargo, i.e. $75,000. This was
the amount officially* paid: but Colonel Hayley Bell was
assured that, as a fact, no less than $125,000 was paid.
(d)In the latter part of April last the Japanese
steamer Toyo Maru" arrived at Canton, where agitators
induced the Chinese members of the crew to go on strike.
A new crew of 27 northern Chinese was obtained by the
Company
I