(2)
Cutting from Sunday Herald dated 22. 2. 48.
Dead Letter
has remained
seems
be
The Limits
A population exceeding a mil lion and a half is more than Hong Kong can satisfactorily sus- tain. A dry season would inevit- ably produce a serious water shortage. Moreover unrestricted immigration renders impracticable a comprehensive programme of social service, in such matters as education, public health, poor re- lief, and infant welfare. The
The Ordinance a dead letter: though it has never been revoked, and in view of the likelihood of accelerated Chinese immigration if the Chin- eşe civil war spreads, it high time that the Hong Kong Government considered the establishment of the necessary machinery to enforce it, and fixed a definite date for enforce- ment. This procedure would fully justified not only upon the ground that the Colony's housing and public-utility resources are already strained almost to break-minority of the community who pay taxes in one form or another ing point, but also as a precau-
cannot reasonably be expected to tion against the Colony becoming
provide these facilities gratis for a hotbed of Chinese political in- trigue and agitation. If this be!
thousands of impoverished immi- grants. Were it seriously at- given as one of the main reasons
tempted to provide universal for the resttion of Chinese im- migration the Nanking Govern-education, adequate facilities for ment could hardly offer any valid bjection, unless it were willing to see Hong Kong develop into a cen- tre of sedition, from which every anti-Kuomintang, and anti-Chiang' Kai-shek agitation received its impetus.
Hong Kong. has frequently given asylum to Chinese political refu- gees--including, upon more than one occasion, the late Dr. Sun Yat-sen-but in the past it has banned political activities directed against the recognized Govern- ment of China, and it seems de- sirable that this policy should be revived. Hardly a week passes now that some disgruntled Chin- ese political faction does not put out a manifesto demanding this or that, or inciting open revolt against the Chiang Kai-shek re-
gime. The issue of these mani- festces, and the use of the Colony for political agitation on intrigue is an undoubted abuse of British hospitality, and if it continues to be tolerated, may well result in involving the Colony in China's political turmoil. Extradition for political or subversive activities on the part of Chinese political agita- tors is not possible under existing Ordinances, and It would be undesirable to make it so. But it is equally undesirable that Chinese in the Colony should be permit- ted to engage in political activities for which they would receive short shrift were they to attempt to undertake them in their Own country. One has only to imagine the repercussions that would fol- low were the assassination of some import political personage in China to be traced back to incite- ment by a group of dissidents in Hong Kong.
tuberculosis cases, and a compre-; hensive plan for maternity cases, and infant welfare, the immigra- tion rate from the hinterland would increase by leaps and bounds. It is out of the questi from the economic jewpoint, for the Colony to assume the role of Fairy Godmother for Can- or other districts in South
ton
China.
Any move to stem immigration when it attains panic proportions would have to be improvised, and probably lead to serious friction. The time to take the necessary precautions is now. It would, of course, impose a, financial burden on the Colony, but this should be lightened by the imposition of the same visa fees that are charged by China, and, if control cannot be efficiently effected in any other way, by the levy of a small poll- tax, and the issue of identity cards. It is a one-sided arrange- ment that requires a British or other alien national to pay a visa fee of H.K.$12 for every visit to China (even to Canton) while Chinese, many of them without any visible means of subsistence, can flock into Hong Kong without any form of restriction.
.
EN).