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131
PARAPHRASE TELEGRAM from the Governor of Bong Kong to the
Secretary of State for the Colonies.
Deted 2nd February, 1927
X11
Personal. Hong Kong situ tion gives me increasing anxiety.
Determined efforts are being made by Canton agitators to st rt
another general strike. Seeing that the policy of Bis
M..jesty's Government has antagonised both Southern and Northern
China and that no stand has yet been made anywhere for the
defence of elementary Treaty rights of British concessions
maritime customs or even against pirates Hong Kong Chinese have
lost faith in the reality of British protection. Emergency
regulations here have been tightened up and route marches are
being made in Hong Kong and in Kowloon by the Bavy Army and
Volunteers, Above all else it is essential that Britsin
should no longer be regarded by the Chinese as a "paper tiger"
For example, Manifesto lasued to the Press by (7) Adsinistra-
tive Board of the Kuomintang Cental Police Station &watow
published in Kuominpao on January 29th under the caption
#Brutal massacre of infants by the Catholic #issions in Fuchow"
after inflammatory anti-foreign diatribe concludes *Kill kill
kill. There is no reason to be afraid.' All signs point to
outbreak being now in prepa tion similar to those in the
Boxer year, when I was here.
I love the Chinese and have deep sympathy with their
national aspirations. But in dealing with them firmness must
always be combined with generosity and firmness has been totally
under Southerners noe believeĹBolshevik tuition that for
lacking.
fear of its own proleteriat no foreign Ponser vill dare to make
r on them. The Bortherners have seen our weakness in the
Eouth and have come to believe the same thing.
Unless m
are to drift from bad to worse resolute action in our own
defence