52
1.36
The Council had put to the strikers my earlier query as to
the amount of the strike-pay claimed, but they could give no
answer. They were working out the figures.
-
Mr. Sung had
suggested to me on board H.M.S. "Tarantula" that the figure
In the course of the
would run into several millions.
discussion Mr. Sung said that he wished to correct a wrong
impression which he had given at the last meeting. It was
not correct that the Government was not firmly in the saddle
and that it would fall if it coerced the strikers. It was
in a position to impasse its will absolutely, but, if it
was to coerce the strikers against popular sentiment, it
would lose, and rightly lose, the support of the people.
I replied that, if the Government had complete control, the
least it could do was to see that all write within its
jurisdiction were compelled forthwith to conform to the
civilized usages which were universal in the intercourse
of friendly Powers.
When the discussion was ended, I said that I
wished to make a very serious and carefully considered
statement. The Council had informed me that they were in
complete control of the situation. What was the logical
conclusion? Canton was maintaining a complete boycott of
all British shipping and it was refusing all trade facilities
to ships of other nations which touched at Hongkong. This
was contrary to all international law and custom, and such
a state of affairs could only obta inbetween civilized nat-
ions when they were at war. The Canton Government must
very shortly decide whether they would accept the
responsibility for this state of affairs, or whether they
would repudiate it and put an end to it. If the strike
negotiations failed, I felt sure that the British Government
would call upon them to make this decision.
The Council in conclusion promised its most cordi-
al assistance in promoting every means of enabling the
merchants