38
Killed.
Occupations.
Bullets.
Trampled.
Bullets.
Soldiers Labourers
Merchants
Students
Unknown
Peddlers
Professor
Apprentice Boy scout Postman Seaman Policeman
26
8
56
&
3
Wonnded.
Totals.
Trampled.
ON KO
2
84
5
16
:
11
29
20
4
1
1
39
keeping. These had been extracted from patients wounded in that affair. From the nature of the wounds, which were not serious, the patients walking into the hospital and returning to their homes afterwards; the condition of the patients; and from a careful examination of the bullets, it is obvious they were mere ricochets. Furthermore, as you know, The Hague Convention does not allow the use of dumdum bullets. Also samples of bullets used by the Shameen forces, I am told, were given to the consuls of neutral nations.
You are probably also aware that the French gunboat fired blanks, and not shells nor cannon balls. It would therefore also be wise not to refer to such.
I am glad to see from your list that the great majority of those killed and wounded by bullets were not civilians, but soldiers. Judging by those admitted to this hospital, and from your list, very few of the civilians who were in the procession were injured by bullets, most of the civilians so injured being evidently spectators standing along Shakee as the soldiers were passing.
Of course the wounds received by those on both sides of the canal were severe, because of the shortness of the range. You know that our experience in the treating of gunshot wounds has been considerable.
Faithfully yours,
Fortune-teller..
52
(or 30 per cent.)
77
1
1
40
(or 45 per cent.) (or 24 per cent.)
Killed or wounded by bullets: total 129, of whom 82 (or 63 per cent.) were soldiers, of the Whampoa army chiefly; occupation unknown, 14, 11 per cent; merchants, 11, 9 per cent.; labourers, 11, 9 per cent.; students, 5, 4 per cent.; peddlers, 4, 3 per cent.; miscellaneous occupations, 3 persons.
From the above analysis and from questioning those civilians who were wounded on that occasion and who were brought to this Canton Hospital for treatment, it would appear that it was the military part of the procession that received practically the whole of the attention of the Shameen forces, as large numbers of soldiers were wounded and killed, whereas very few of the civilians in the procession were wounded or killed, although some were trampled by the crowd. wounded seem to have been spectators lining the route as the soldiers passed their Most of the civilians killed and section of Shakee during the fight.
I shall be glad if you will not publish this statement-it has not yet been made public.
J. OSCAR THOMSON,
Chief Surgeon, Canton Hospital.
ANNEX IX.
Colonial Office to Foreign Office.-(Received August 5.)
[F 3668/194/10]
Sir,
Downing Street, August 5, 1925. I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Amery to transmit to you, to be laid before Mr. Secretary Chamberlain, the accompanying copy of a despatch from the Governor of Hong Kong, with its enclosures, in regard to the strike in that colony. I am, &c. (For Under-Secretary of State),
J. J. PASKIN.
Faithfully yours,
J. ÓSCAR THOMSON,
Chief Surgeon, Canton Hospital.
(Confidential.)
Sir,
Enclosure.
Sir R. H. Stubbs to Mr. Amery.
Enclosure 2.
Dr. J. 0. Thomson to Mr. Lei Ying Lam, Member, Commission of Investigation, Shameen-Shakee Affair of June 23, 1925.
Dear Mr. Lei,
Canton Hospital, August 31, 1925.
I AM returning to you herewith the proof sheets of the lists of the Chinese who were killed, wounded or hurt upon the occasion of the Shameen-Shakke affair of the 23rd June, which you asked me terminology. This I have done, and I have made some corrections in the medical to proof-read, especially with reference to the
terms.
You will also note that I have made some other corrections. For instance, I have crossed out the several references to "dumdum, or soft-nosed bullets." admitted to this hospital were carefully examined by myself and by one at least of the All cases Chinese surgeons.
All patients that had retained bullets or had fractured bones were X-rayed. The bullets extracted were also carefully examined. After this had been done, on the 25th June I received a letter from Dr. C. C. Wu, who was then Secretary for Foreign Affairs, enquiring as to the nature of the wounds, and whether there was any evidence of "dumdums" being used. I replied officially that we had seen no evidence of dumdum bullets being used or of wounds being caused by them. no cause to change our minds.
We have Several ricochet bullets were borrowed from this hospital by the police department upon their promise to return them to us for safe
Government House, Hong Kong, June 26, 1925. WITH reference to my telegram of the 26th June, I have the honour to report the course of events in connection with the strike situation.
2. The Shanghai incident, so far as could be seen, was entirely disregarded by the Chinese in the colony. The Cantonese were in any event too busy with their own affairs, as they were about to make a supreme effort to oust the Yunnanese troops from Canton, an effort which was successfully accomplished on the 12th June. Mr. C. C. Wu, Minister for Foreign Affairs in Canton, Mr. Foo Ping-sheung, Coni- missioner for Foreign Affairs, and Mr. Sun Fo, son of Dr. Sun Yat-sen, were passing through Hong Kong at the time, on their way from Swatow to Canton, and, with my permission, they were met informally at the house of one of the Chinese members of the Legislative Council by Mr. Tratman, Acting Secretary for Chinese Affairs, and Mr. Fletcher, Assistant Colonial Secretary. They professed an attitude of sincere friendship towards Hong Kong, and they appeared to be confident that they would be able to control the situation in Cantou. It was suggested to them that the cumulative effect of the assistance already accepted from Russia in the shape of arms, money, Russian officers and Russian-trained cadets would be such that, in the event of a victory over the Yunnanese, the Red element in the Cantonese army might become the master instead of the servant of the Canton Government; but they appeared to be satisfied that such would not be the case. The event has proved otherwise, and for the time being at any rate Communist counsels prevail.
3. The strike which has been organised in Hong Kong is entirely due to these Communist agitators in Canton. They have, of course, taken the Shanghai incident as their pretext, but they have found the Cantonese for the most part entirely
514