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ENCLOSURE IN No. 2.
(Extract from the Hong Kong Government Gazette No. 5 of the 28th January, 1927.) No. 38.
Regulations made by the Governor in Council under section 2 of the Emergency Regulations Ordinance, 1922, Ordinance No. 5 of 1922, on the 27th day of January, 1927.
PROCESSIONS AND ASSEMBLIES.
1. It shall be lawful for any police officer to stop, divert, divide or disperse any procession whatsoever, or any part thereof, or to divide o disperse any crowd or assembly whatsoever, or any part
thereof.
2. Every person taking part in any procession, crowd or assembly, shall disperse when called upon by any police officer to do so.
Council Chamber,
27th January, 1927.
D. W. TRATMAN,
Clerk of Councils.
NOTE. Under section 3 of the Emergency Regulations Ordinance, 1922, as amended by Ordinance No. 10 of 1925, every person who contravenes any regu- lation made under that Ordinance (No. 5 of 1922) shall, where no other penalty or punishment is provided by such regulation, upon summary conviction be liable to a fine not exceeding $1,000, and to imprisonment for any term not exceeding one year.
(Extract from the Hong Kong Government Gazette No. 5 of the 28th January, 1927.) No. 39. Regulations made by the Governor in Council under section 2 of the Emergency Regulations Ordinance, 1922, Ordinance No. 5 of 1922, on the 27th day of January, 1927.
PREVENTION OF DISORDER.
1. It shall be lawful for the Governor in Council, in these regula- tions or by subsequent order, to proscribe within the Colony, for the purposes of these regulations, any organisation whatsoever, whether such organisation be within or without the Colony, which in the opinion of the Governor in Council is an organisation which has among its aims, or is being used for, the promotion of a general strike, or of disorder of any kind, or of the spread of sedition, within the Colony,
"
2. No person shall do any act in furtherance of the objects of any such proscribed organisation.
excuse have in 3. No person shall without lawful authority or his possession any badge, ticket or document, or any other thing whatsoever, which purports to have been, or which appears to have been, issued by any such proscribed organisation whether before or after such proscription, or which purports to be, or which appears
15
to be, or which appears to be intended as, evidence of membership ci, or any authority from, or any association with, any such pro- scribed organisation.
4. No person shall do any act in furtherance of the promotion of a general strike, or of disorder of any kind, or of the spread of sedi- tion, within the Colony.
5. No person shall utter any newspaper, book or other document containing any matter which is seditious matter as defined in the Seditious Publications Ordinance, 1914, and no person shall say any thing which if reduced to writing would be seditious matter as so defined.
Council Chamber,
27th January, 1927.
C.30001/27. [No. 38.]
No. 3.
D. W. TRATMAN,
Clerk of Councils.
The Governor of Hong Kong to the Secretary of State for the
(Secret.)
SIR,
Colonies.
(Received 21st March, 1927.)
Government House, Hong Kong, 12th February, 1927.
I have the honour to confirm my telegram of the 10th February,* and to enclose in this connection a copy of a letter, dated the 9th February, which I have written to His Majesty's Consul-General at "Sai On," though humiliating to Canton. The incident of the s.s. British prestige, is only a small item in the steady advance by labour in Canton towards the complete imposition of the Labour At the moment; as shown in the enclosed* Code of Soviet Russia. press report, the merchants of Canton appear to be making a last stand for the elementary right to decide the number of their employés. But their threatened counter-measure of complete stop- page of business, while it has in the past proved a most effective weapon in China for securing the removal of objectionable taxation and other economic injustices, is unlikely to be of much avail in the present struggle. The forces ranged on the other side are whole- heartedly, and openly Bolshevik, and the first principle of Bolshevism is that the communist state is only realisable if capitalism in every form is ruthlessly destroyed.
2. I have already commented, in my secret despatch of the 21st January on the speedy downfall of the anti-communist Commis- sioner of Police in Canton, and on his successor's declaration in the matter of labour policy. What the labour policy of the Kuomintang is likely to be is illustrated in my confidential despatch of the 15th January, to which I invite reference, and by the enclosed trans-
‡ No. 1.
• Not printed. † C. 30001/27 [No. 24]: not printed.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O.882/11
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TOPage 181
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
mimmi
Reference :-
C.O.882/11
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE. LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO
16
lation of a Chinese poster which, with many others of similar tenor, was plastered by Nationalist troops at Sham Chun over a tram leaving for British territory on the 7th February. Other posters weie in English and to the following effect, inter alia:-
"Down with British Imperialism." "Make Hong Kong a desolate island.” "International revolution,"
Similar posters are continually appearing in Sham Chun town and in Shataukok on both sides of the village street which forms the frontier, and I have asked His Majesty's Consul-General at Canton to protest most strongly to the Nationalist authorities, who are very Fensitive to the least hint of hostility to their régime emanating from Hong Kong, but have entirely failed to implement in deed the statements made by Mr. Eugene Ch'ên in his letter of the 16th September, 1926 (copy enclosed in my despatch No. 404 of the 21th September, 1926†), that it is not the policy of the Canton Govern ment to inflict such injury as it can upon Hong Kong or to develop the anti-British boycott throughout China. Protests have also been made locally to the military officials at Sham Chun and at Shataukok As usual these were met by the District Officer. Mr. J. A. Fraser. by denials of knowledge and vague promises to prevent recurrence. the local Chinese authorities knowing full well that any action run- ning in the least counter to the tide of Communism will involve An extract from the District Officer's them in personal danger.
I attach also copy* of a report report on this incident is enclosed. by the Assistant Superintendent of Police (New Territories), dated the 9th February, concerning the dangerous situation now existing on the British froutier at Shataukok, which our Chinese det ctives are afraid to visit. I am taking steps to restore confidence among our people in this locality.
3. In effect, the position on the frontier, at Canton, at Hankow, It is most and wherever the Nationalists are in control is the sume. clearly put in a letter written from Nanking on the 27th January by Sir F. Aglen, the Inspector-General of Customs, to Colonel Sir Francis Åglen Hayley Bell and shown to me by the latter. writes as follows regarding the Chinese Soviet at Hankow:-
"What they want first is recognition expressed by signature with them of an international instrument implying that they are the Government of China. Then they want all concessions can celled, but would perhaps agree to British representation under Chinese direction. They are prepared to negotiate about extra. territoriality of persons as even they are not so blind as not to see that in present circumstances Great Britain will not throw her people to the wolves. They don't want to interfere with
for the Customs
fear of my bond-holders. Eugene Chiêu admitted this; but, if the Customs show partiality--for example. collect surtax for the north-they will Smash the Customs
The Political Bureau rules and (à la Eugene Ch'ên). the Moderates' are governing on sufferance, put in the front pew to impress foreigners! I have satisfied myself after a
† 20103/26: not printed.
• Not printed.
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week at Hankow that the Russian element wants catastrophe, I look upon and I doubt whether the moderates can win. evacuation of Hankow and above as a possibility, and, unless the so-called Civilian Nationalist Government can bring itself to A few use force against the Hankow mob, as a probability. weeks will show, because the tension at Hankow can't go on. The so-called order in the British Concession is a sham. Under- The Canton situation, you know, neath the position is rotten.
is no parallel. The Cantonese can control their own people, but not the Hankow mob-the worst mob in China. Ch'ên and his friends have raised the devil and they are afraid. I was present when a mob tried to rush the Ministry of Finance and to beat up the Minister-Sung. This was very helpful, because the mask I told Ch'ên that, unless came off and they can't deceive me.
he could control labour in Hankow, he and his friends would go under. Ch'èn is useful, of course, to impress the outside world, but he cuts no ice with Borodin and Co., and he knows it. Our Customs position is desperately dangerous!"
4. I agree with this appreciation of the situation, except that Sir Francis is plainly wrong in thinking that "the Cantonese can control their own people.' It is not so. Labour is running amuck in Canton as elsewhere in southern China.
which I enclose, 5. The following documents,* interest :-
are
also of
(a) Translations of two reports on the Hankow and Kiukiang incidents, published in the Man Kwok Yat Po, Canton, on the 17th January. The Man Kwok Fat Po is one of the official orgaus of the Kuomintang.
(b) Translation of a telegram from Mr. Eugene Ch'ên published in the Kwok Man San Man, Canton, on the 20th January. The Kwok Man San Man is also a Nationalist organ.
(c) A translation of a manifesto by Mrs. Sun to the women of China inviting their co-operation in the completion of the Nationalist Revolution. Mrs. Sun is one of the widows of the late Dr. Sun Yat-sen. She is a sister of Mr. Sung Tsz-man, Minister of Finance in the Nationalist Government, and step- mother of Mr. Sun Fo.
6. With regard to (a) and (b) I must again draw attention to the fact that, whereas the Kuomintang was ready at once with its own version of the Hankow incident, I have still to see an official British statement of the facts broadcasted to the world, and published in the Chinese vernacular press. There was similar regrettable delay in connection with the Wan-hsien incident: and insufficient publicity has been given to the Bias Bay outrages which illustrate the utter nability of the Canton Soviet to keep order even in the Kuang-tung Province.
7. I would urge that the British authorities in China should be prepared to furnish His Majesty's Government promptly by tele ram with a correct statement of fact regarding any future clash between our troops and Chinese mobs or soldiery. I would also
• Not printed.
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