PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :--
C.O.882/11
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
| PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
26.
6. In conclusion, I have to add that Canton has taken not the slightest note of my protest against the official propagation of the lie regarding a British loan of £5,000,000 to the North (see my despatch of 4th February,* first paragraph). On the contrary. refer ences to this alleged loan continue to appear in the vernacular press, and the story is clearly a standard weapon manufactured by the propaganda factory of the Nationalist Government.
I have, etc.,
C. CLEMENTI,
Governor, «r,
ENCLOSURE IN No. 6.
(Extract from the Hong Kong Government Gazette No. 10 of the 4th March, 1927.) No. 130. Regulations made by the Governor in Council under section 2 of the Emergency Regulations Ordinance, 1922, Ordinance No. 5 of 1922, on the 3rd day of March, 1927.
PROHIBITION OF MEETINGS AND PROCESSIONS.
1. It shall be lawful for the Governor in Council, by order pub lished in the Gazette, to prohibit the holding of any proposed meet- ing, which, in his opinion, is likely to be conducted in a seditious or disorderly manner, or at or during which, in his opinion, seditious or disorderly utterances are likely to be made or seditious or disorderly matter is likely to be exhibited or used, or at or during which a general strike is likely to be advocated or promoted.
2. No person shall take part in any meeting so prohibited, and no persons shall without lawful authority or excuse be present at any meeting so prohibited.
3. It shall be lawful for any police officer to use any force, and to effect any entry, which may appear to be reasonably necessary for the purpose of preventing the holding of any meeting so pro- hibited, or for the purpose of dispersing any meeting so prohibited, and also to search any premises entered and to seize any thing which may appear to be evidence of any offence.
4. (1) In any case in which he may consider that the urgency of the occasion so requires it shall be lawful for the Governor, without consulting the Executive Council and without publication of the order in the Gazette, to prohibit the holding of any proposed meet- ing which, in his opinion, is likely to be conducted in a seditious or disorderly manner, or at or during which, in his opinion, seditious or disorderly matter is likely to be exhibited or used, or at, or during which a general strike is likely to be advocated or promoted.
(2) It shall be lawful for any police officer to use any force, and to effect any entry, which may appear to be reasonably necessary
• No. 2.
27
for the purpose of preventing the holding of any meeting so pro- hibited, or for the purpose of dispersing any meeting so prohibited, and also to search any premises entered and to seize any thing which may appear to be evidence of any offence.
(3) Any such order may be proved in any legal proceedings by the production of a certificate under the hand of the Colonial Secretary, and judicial notice shall be taken of such signature on such certificate.
3. In these regulations,
(12) " Meeting" includes every assembly, gathering, celebration, service and ceremony, whether open to the public or not, and every procession.
(b)
14
"Seditious matter" has the same meaning as in the Sedi- tious Publications Ordinance, 1914, and "seditious utterances means utterances which if reduced to writing would be seditious matter.
D. W. TRATMAN,
Council Chamber,
3rd March, 1927.
C. 30001/27 B. [No. 1.]
No. 7.
Clerk of Councils.
The Governor of Hong Kong to the Secretary of State for the
(Secret.)
SIR,
il
Colonies.
(Received 19th April, 1927.)
Government House, Hong Kong, 18th March, 1927.
The proposed meeting of the Seamen's Union, reported in para- graph 3 of my secret despatch of the 11th March,* proved to be part of much more widespread movement for celebrating the second A general committee anniversary of the death of Dr. Sun Yat-sen. was found to be organizing a commemorative service on a large scale, part of the programme being a school holiday. The venue was shifted to the Lee Gardens, a kind of Chinese "Earl's Court," situated at the eastern end of the town and offering far better facilities than the theatre for a large gathering. It would obviously have been highly impolitic to forbid the Chinese of Hong Kong to pay tribute to the memory of one who has done so much for China. At the same time I was determined that the ceremony should not be made the occasion of further insults to Great Britain and defiance of the Government of this Colony. I therefore caused the promoters to be warned by the Secretary for Chinese Affairs that proceedings must be limited to one and a-half hours, that no placards or speeches would be permitted which he had not censored and approved and I gave instructions that a sufficient body of police should be present at the ceremony to disperse
* No. 6.
1
136
}