CO537-(1262-1649) — Page 696

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CO 537/1427

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On the one hand, moxarn machinery was being used for the intensification of work on road building - there was no need to wait for discussions on compensations; When the correspondent visited the place, he saw two newly paved roads of 15 feet wide which were built over rice fields. Runways were also being built, occupying more rice fields, such work, neither too speedy nor too slow, provided a test against the resistence of the villagers.

According

Later,

On the other hand, work was proceeded with to persuade the villagers into yielding. From information from the villagers, the correspondent learned that the compensation allowed the villagers, according to the 1930 regulations, amounted to HONG KONG currency 1 cents for each square foot, of land. to present price levels, this may be better than outright confiscation. the HONG KONG Government did not refer to this provision, but stated that compen- sation would be paid in kind. Where a village is being demolished, a new village would be built; where fields are taken over, new fields would be given instead. The villagers were informed that in view of present scientific progress, hills may be razed down, and waste land turned into fertile fields.

But the villagers shook their heads, and said "the land belongs to the State, we cannot sell it". The British officials said "You have issued it to us, the lease has not yet expired". This really revealed the true intentions of the British. Whereupon the villagers said: "Since the land is only being leased, then in giving us the eastern hill to compensate for our western hill, you are only using our own goods to compensate our own loss". The British were themselves surprised after a few years of war, the Chinese have come to understand things. Some who belong to members of the intelligentsia bluntly criticised the British action as imperialistic.

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At the moment, the "PING SHAN Airfield Incident" has reached the state of stalemate as described here. The villagers adopted an attitude of non-cooperation towards the HONG KONG Government's efforts at commandeering labour. A portion of the engineering personnel of the British Air Force sent for the construction of the airfield also consider that as the war is over, they should go home and hence are not willing to work. For this reason the British have started to despatch a a portion of Japanese war prisoners on the job. From present conditions, the British will proceed with the construction of the airfield irrespective of the opposition of the villagers.

This incident has caused reaction not only from the villagers of PING SHAN, but also from the people of HONG KONG and CANTON where the press also reacted to the incident. It led the Chinese to feel from a certain angle that the hope they entertained of Sino-British friendship, of the abrogation of Sino-British unequal treaties, and of the "diplomatic" settlement of the HONG KONG issue, is becoming a problem because the KOWLOON issue, which was considered non-problematical, has already become a problem. The PING SHAN incident seems to have provided an additional proof of this fact.

Up to the present, all those who know about the PING SHAN Airfield incident believe that between the PING SHAN Airfield and Chinese friendship, the British, it is feared, is choosing the former.

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A PETITION, DATED 4-1-46, TO THE C. IN C. HONG KONG, PRESENTED

BY A BODY OF VILLAGERS

Your humble petitioners in the matter of praying to Your Excellency for cancellation of the order already made to construct the PING SHAN Aerodrome, have on the 16th of November last year, collected the people of the villages there and come with them surrounding your office to make an appeal. As is on record your petitioners were then promised verbally by Your Excellency that the matter would be carefully considered and in addition your petitioners have on the 2nd of December received from the Secretary for Chinese Affairs a letter asking them to convey

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