19.
D:T:FW.
CONFIDENTIAL.
Sir,
СОРТ.
GOVERNMENT HOUSE
33
HONG KONG
24th April, 1934.
With reference to your Confidential
letter No.28 of the 31st March, 1934, regarding a
proposal to establish a branch of the Chinese Seamen's
Union in Hong Kong I have the honour to inform you that
this Government is unable to recede from the position
set out in Sir William Peel's letter of the 27th
January, 1934, the second paragraph of which indicates
the legal objections to the course proposed.
2.
This Government welcomes the efforts of
the Chinese Government to restrain the irresponsible
activities of Seamen's Unions in Canton and other ports
of China which have caused and are still causing much
anxiety to British Shipping, but it is of the opinion
that the interests of Chinese Seamen in the Colony are
adequately protected by the Chinese Seamen's Associated
Union(), and, apart from the legal
aspect of the case, there would seem to be grave
objections to the establishment of a separate organization
having the same aims and functions.
3. I would venture to express the sympathy
of this Government with the efforts of the Central
His Britannic Majesty's Consul-General,
CANTO N.