Enclosure.
To
10 th for. 83 "pruntun
Extract from the South China Morning Post, 25/5/27!
A RED UNION.
Peculiar Circular from the Seamen.
ADHERE TO HANKOW.
HONGKONG NEST.
The Hongkong Branch of the Chinese Seamen's Union at 137 Des Voeux Road Central has issued a circular explaining that the cen, tral office of the Union was for- merly in Canton, but owing to the coup there on April 15th, the exe- eutive Commissioners of the Union : found it necessary to move up to Hankow. However since the coup, certain reactionary characters have occupied the Union's offices in Canton, Swatow, Amoy, Shang- hai and other places (under Mar- shal Chiang Kai-shek) with the aid of military force, and the Union officers there have been under the oppression of militarists. These officers found no way to re- sist and have therefore run away with the seals and funds.
According to the regulations of the Union, the officers in charge of! the branches should be appointed by the central executives and the central executives of the Union elected in general conference. Any military interference with the organization of the union is there- fore illegal. However certain reactionary characters took ad- vantage of the recent political coup, and are occupying the Union's branches in different places by force. This means that they wish to try to destroy the Union's unity.
The central office of the Union therefore notifies the members and branches throughout the country that the central office has been moved up to Hankow and has its office with the Hankow branch of the Union. The Union emphatically repudiates those who now illegally make use of the name of the Union's central office or the branch offices which have been forcibly occupied.
The members of the Union are instructed to strictly abide by the regulations of the Union and to take instructions from the central I office in Hankow only. They should also unite to strive for the interest and liberty of seamen.