CO537-2188 — Page 241

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I care to prophesy as to what will be the result of a revolution should one take

place. If, however, the K. M. T. influence decreases in South China, I think that

this will have a definite effect on our trade union movement and may provide the

opportunity for a rapid and healthy expansion of independent trade unions.

At the moment, however, I would urge very strongly that too much should

not be expected of our present trade unions. As I have tried to show, those

under K. M. T. domination are not in any sense of the word representatives of the

interests of labour, while those in the anti-K. MT. group are themselves in danger

of being converted from representative organisations into appendages of a political

party. In these circumstances, it would, in my opinion, be dangerous to place on

the shoulders of trade unionism burdens and responsibilities which it would not

be in a position to bear. If we make the mistake of thinking of trade unions

in Hong Kong in terms of trade unions in, say, the United Kingdom, we shall be

running a grave risk of destroying what slender chances there are of healthy

development.

I attach some figures showing the relative strength of K. M. T. and anti-

Some of these are taken from Police reports and should

K. M. T. trade unions.

be regarded as SECRET.

B. Hawkins

еи

LABOUR OFFICER.

10th June, 1947.