14 9. textract from Official Report 18/ub
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Messuss Reid
Sharman & ŏ
4.10.46
Facts about Mr. Shumwaiyau are given in the
Governor's telegram No. 351 of 16th June at 3. I have also discussed this matter fully with the Colonial Secretary Mr. MacDougall.
Briefly the position is that Mr. Shumwaiyau was the owner and editor of an independent Chinese newspaper named Wa Kiu Yat Po (Overseas Chinese News) which had the largest circulation and was the most wealthy in Hong Kong, The paper was one of the three dailies which continued publication during the period of Japanese occupation but, it is claimed, was able to give Allied news "between the lines". Mr. North, late Secretary for Chinese Affairs, supports this claim. (See his note at 4). Mr. MacDougall tells me that it is probable that Mr. Shumwaiyau collaborated more or less with the Japanese but in view of the decision not to prosecute Sir R. Kotewall, Li Tze Fong, M.K. Lo and other leading Chinese whose hands were not entirely clear, it was decided to take no action against him. This paper was also useful to the Government as being the only one of the vernacular press which could be relied on to expound Government policy. The Kuomintang party, however, wish to gain control of this paper, mainly Mr. MacDougall tells me, on account of its wealth rather than as an organ for the expression of Kuomintang propaganda since that party already controls all other Chinese papers in the Colony. To attain this object the Kuomintang have for the past year subjected Mr.Shum to threats of assassination and the publication of his name on the Chinese "Traitors' List". As reported in the Governor's telegram this eventually happened and it was for inciting the public to arrest Shum and boycott his paper that the Governor decided to suppress the Koumintang newspaper, the National Times. Mr. Shum sought assurances from the Hong Kong Government that he would not be extradited. As is pointed out in the telegram at (3), to succeed, any application from the Canton authorities would have to show that he had committed some offence in China. I understand that his paper was published in Canton throughout the war and is alleged by his enemies to have been pro-Japanese. At In any event when the Chinese successfully applied for the surrender of General S.K. Yee under the Chinese Collaborators (Surrender) Ordinance Mr. Shum took fright and eventually I understand sold the major interests in his paper.
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