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They said that the Secretary for Chinese Affairs had absolutely vetoed the discussion of politics at any meeting that he had sent spies to report what was said at any assembly; that the Hongkong merchants Wuchow Traders' Guild had been closed for no reason at all; that no school in Hongkong was allowed to use any text book which was not prescribed by the Govern- ment, and so on. It was obvious in Mr. Wong Ching-wai's opinion, that it would takes weeks for the Council to come and go between the strikers and myself regarding the political terms and he therefore thought that the Hongkong delegation should now come down and discuss terms with the strikers direct, the Council mediating. I said that the Hongkong-Wuchow Union was close d a long time ago on the very good ground that the Members were a most disorderly and sediitio body. I gave this explanation because I had previously informed the Council that no Unions had been closed in
connection with the Strike. I added that I knew nothing of the allegation as to the school text books. All this was however entirely beside the point. I had informed the Council that I had full powers regarding these political questions, a and I was prepared to give a final answer at once. The Hongkong Government would in no circumstances yield any of these terms as a condition of the strikers ending the boycott. If the Council thought that here was anything in the alleged grievances, the Honkong Government would be glad to listen
t
any suggestions which they might put forward, either officially or semi-officially, and it would give them careful
consideration, but the place for the strikers to present their grievances was in Hongkong, before the Secretary for Chinese Affairs in the recognised manner. Hongkong had
not the least desire to have the strikers back, and if they did not like the laws under which they lived in the Colony, the obvious course was for them to stop away. I felt entirely assured that the Canton Authorities were genuinely anxious to
put an end to the intollerable situation, and so I would
speak quite frankly. They were a new Government, qåte
recently
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