PRECIS TRANSLATION
"We Demand the Rendition of Hong Kong" by Gerald Samson.
written about January 1946. First published in the Ta Kung Pao
16th February 1948.
Note
This article was specially commissioned by the Ta Kung Pao soon after the end of the war. At that time, however, very little interest was being shown in the Hong Kong question and the article was not published. Interest in the Fong Kong question has now been arouced by the Kowloon incident with the result that the article has been prominently displayed on Page One of the paper, together with a shorter article by Michael Lindsay on the same subject.
Precis,
The student demonstration last month demanding the rendition of Hong Kong caused scarcely a ripple on the surface of English public opinion, for the normal Englishman, pre- occupied with the pressing problems of democilisation, taxation, rationing and housing, takea very little interest in events in the Par est. But a few people, including those with interests in Hong Kong, affected pained surprise mingled with annoyance pointing out that British industry had made Hong Kong what it is and that China has reaped many benefits from it. There were also the very few who, like the present writer, were extremely sympathetic with the students' point of view. I have always taken every opportunity to point out that when Britain very tandily relinquished her extra-territorial rights it was a great share that she did not promise to give buck Hong Kong. It is important that readers realise that there is very little possibility of Hong Kong being returned in the near future. The British Government is occupied with its own internal, imperial and international questions.
Those who propose that Hong Kong should be retained have, from the legal point of view, some grounds for doing so, for Hong Kong was ceded in accordance with certain treaties. Another point to be noted is that at the time of its cession, the Chinese Government considered the island to be without value or importance. At that time it was occupied by only a few fisher fols. Its present status is the result of its development by British capital. Hong Kong under British administration has also made a big contribution to the development of Chinese overseas trade and has provided security for millions of Chinese.
The second reason put forward by those who advocate the retention of Hong Kong is that it is in China's interest for the Jolony to retain its connection with Great Britain. Hong Kong rendered valuable help to China from the Revolutionary period right down to the time of the occupation. It is also pointed out that Hong Kong became an important Chinese base during the first part of the Sino-Japanese war. Those people do not however mention the rich parasites who fled to Hong Kong with their wealth from every Chinese port just when China needed all the money she could get to fight the war. The British also point proudly to Hong Kong University and its position as a bridge between Western and China culture. And nowadays they compare the law and order and commercial and financial stability of Hong Kong with conditions in Shanghai and other Chinese cities.
The readers of this paper may now reply to the above by pointing to the success of the Political Consultation
Committee/