СОРУ.
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Sub-enclosure in Canton despatch to H.E. the Governor, Hong Kong No.73
of 22nd August, 1934.
TRANSLATION.
Enclosure to Inspector-General's letter of 20th August, 1934.
Copy of Letter from Preparatory Committee of
the Chinese Seamen Labour Union, to the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
Sir,
I have the honour to refer to your letter in
regard to the opening of a branch at Hong Kong (by the
Union).
Instructions were sent immediately to the Hong
Kong branch for the organic nature of the Hong Kong
Chinese Seamen's Union to be fully investigated and
reported.
The following reply has now been submitted:-
"In compliance with your orders, I am submitting this report relating to difficulties in regard to registration, and conditions of the H ong Kong Chinese Seamen's Union
It seems the underlying reason why the Hong Kong Government refuses the establishment of our branch lies in the s.s "Woosung", case last year, when the support of the Canton Seamen's Union by calling a strike resulted in heavy losses for Messrs. Butter- field & Swire. It is greatly feared that with a branch of the Seamen's Union at Hong Kong, further inconvenience would be felt. The Hong Kong Govern- ment harbours a misunderstanding over this point and has thus determinedly refused the opening of our branch. It is however not realised that after the opening of a seamen's union at Hong Kong, should there be disputes involving seamen, the Union would certainly take up the responsibility of attending to them, and co-operate with the Hong Kong Government to see that no opportunity for a labour upheaval should arise.
In the years 1918-1919 Chan Ping-sang and others established at Hong Kong a Seamen's Union which was allowed registration by the Secretary for Chinese Affairs Mr. Hallifax (?). Subsequently, in 1925, after the general strike declared by seamen in Hong Kong the Government dissolved the Union.
At that moment one Leung Yuen-wo utilised the
opportunity