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has happened, and that the acts committed were in the
main by less responsible people, and that probably evil
influences were behind them.
I wish to pay a tribute to the work done by
the Police in the course of those riots. They had a
difficult task, for the disturbances were very sporadic
in nature, and just as they seemed to have been quelled in one place, they broke out in another.
It has been suggested in some quarters that.
the Police were not sufficiently backed by Government,
but I am sure that the Inspector General of Police
will endorse my assurance that such was not the case,
and that any help asked for by him was at once given,
I and any measures suggested by him carried out.
have seen it stated that the Police were forbidden to
use their revolvers until things came to
that these orders had to be disregarded.
truth whatever in such a statement.
such a pass
There is no
It would be as well to recapitulate the
course of events, giving information as regards the action taken. On Wednesday, the 23rd September, China
declared what has been usually described as a day of
humiliation, and it appears that a certain number of people in this Colony flew flags at half mst. This, in itself, is not an illegal act, and it did not appear
that any bad results were likely to follow. That evening there were some mild demonstrations at Wanchai which were promptly dealt with by the Police.
On Thursday, the 24th, in view of the possibility of any trouble occurring, I had a conference with the
Chinese members of this Council. I gave instructions
to the Secretary for Chinese Affairs to warn the editors
of the Chinese Press that nothing in the shape of anti-
Japanese propaganda should be published in their papers
and