87
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
TPERNIC.O.882/11
السلسالسا
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
|ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
C.9778/26S.
162
No. 16.
The Governor of Hongkong to the Secretary of State for the Colonies.
Secret.
SIR,
(Received 10th May, 1926.)
Government House, Hongkong, 6th April, 1926.
In continuation of my secret despatch dated the 27th March,* I have the honour to inform you that Mr. Fitzmaurice returned to Canton on the 29th March and that on the next day Sir James Jamieson forwarded my despatch as amended to the Canton Government.
97
2. On the 2nd April Sir James telegraphed that Mr. C. C. Wa assured him that the official reply of the Canton Government to my despatch would be addressed to him by Mr. Fu Peng-sheung, Commissioner for Foreign Affairs, within one or two days, that it would contain the names of the Chinese delegates and would suggest that the date for the conference should not be fixed until the preliminary discussions are concluded, adding that Mr. C. C. Wu proposed that Mr. Kemp should visit Canton for informal (say 6th or 7th conversations about the middle of next week April). Subsequently on the evening of the 4th April I received through H.M. Consul-General at Canton the enclosed copy of a despatch from Mr. Fu Peng-sheung, dated 2nd April, and received by Sir James on the 3rd April. This despatch confirms officially the proposals for formal negotiations initiated by Mr. Wong Tseng-wai as well as the proposals for informal conversa- I have accordingly tions to precede the official conference. arranged that Mr. Kemp should visit Canton on the 7th April for the purpose of opening these preliminary conversations. The attitude of this Government in connexion with the impending negotiations will be governed by the instructions contained in your telegram of the 26th March.
3. Meanwhile I received on the 2nd April a telegram from Sir James as follows:-" Hayley Bell tells me that matters are developing somewhat gravely in the Customs." This matter has not been further explained by any letter, but on the 1st April I had an interview with Colonel Hayley Bell, who was then on a visit to Hongkong and who returned to Canton next day. He said to me that he had been obliged to dismiss about 20 men of his minor outdoor staff for misconduct in the early part of last week, and that he had been warned by the Canton Strike Çom- mittee that, if he did not reinstate these men forthwith, the whole Chinese staff of the Chinese Maritime Customs at Canton would be called out on strike on the 5th April. Colonel Hayley Bell
+ Not printed,
C5882/26, not printed.
* No. 15.
163
told me that he was protesting vigorously to the Canton Govern- ment and to General Cheung Kai-shek personally against the attitude taken up by the Canton Strike Committee: that, if the threat were nevertheless carried out, he would have no alternative but again to suspend the loading and discharge of steamers at the port of Canton; and that he has reported accordingly to Sir F. Aglen.
4. Apart from this possible Customs trouble, the whole political situation at Canton is still obscure. A little fight is, however, thrown upon recent events there in a very interesting article which appeared in a Hongkong vernacular newspaper, the Wa Tsz Yat Po, dated 29th March, and of which I enclose a translation.* It appears that the Communists and Anti-Communists were expected · to fight a decisive battle at the Grand Conference of the Canton and Hongkong Labour Representatives," due to be held on the 1st April at Canton. I have no further news as yet concerning
this conference.
C.10267/26S.
No. 17.
I have, &c.,
C. CLEMENTI,
Governor, &c.
The Governor of Hongkong to the Secretary of State for the
Secret.
SIR,
Colonies.
(Received 17th May, 1926.)
Government House, Hongkong, 11th April, 1926.
In continuation of my secret despatch, dated the 7th April,† I have the honour to inform you that Mr. J. H. Kemp returned from Canton on the 10th April. He had two interviews at Canton with Mr. C. C. Wu and I enclose an interesting report. which he has written, describing these conservations. Mr. Kemp explained to Mr. C. C. Wu the proposals of this Government for a settlement of the boycott, making it clear that the Hongkong Government would neither itself make payment, nor countenance any payment by others, of strike pay or of compensation for non- reinstatement of strikers, but that this Government would be willing, if the boycott is removed, to assist the Canton Govern ment in loan works for the development of the Kuang-tung Province.
2. The impression left on my mind by Mr, Kemp's Report is a discouraging lack of sincerity on the part of Mr. C. C. Wu, who again reverted to his pet idea that the Canton Government should
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+C. 10033/288; not printed.