CO885-11 — Page 119

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سلنيسا

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

ཀ ། །

Reference :-

C.O.882/11

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

IALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

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the foreign quarter. The small British defence force, in their desire to avoid further bloodshed, remained passive until the last possible moment, and it was only after the mob had already, in its blind fury, murdered one of the foreign residents, and was in the act of invading the quarter where the others had taken refuge, that shots were fired to repel its advance.

It has been necessary briefly to recall these events in order that the subsequent tragedy at Canton should be viewed in its proper setting. Anti-foreign feeling was running high in this Province by the middle of June, 1925. It was definitely stated in Chinese circles in Canton and Hongkong on the 22nd June that an attack was to be made on Shamcen on the following day, and prominent Chinese actually took refuge in Hongkong and made other dis- Furthermore, on the positions to meet such an eventuality. morning of the 23rd June, two motor-cars were distributing leaflets throughout the city signed by the Students' Union of the Military School of the Kuang-tung Army, inciting all and sundry to rise and chase out the foreigners.

The Shameen residents, therefore, having in mind these facts and the events which had just befallen their compatriots in other parts of the country, had every reason to fear for their own safety and to prepare for defence.

In these circumstances the Canton authorities permitted, on the 23rd June, a very large demonstration to be conducted on the Shakee bund facing Shameen, and this demonstration included armed troops from the military academy. During the course of this demonstration fire was opened at Shameen from the Shakee side.

We notice that in the statement of the Chinese delegation, an attempt is made to pass lightly over the question of responsibility It is suggested that it is a point of for the first shooting.

is not a capital issue," and stress "secondary importance" and "* is laid instead on the intensity of the fire returned by the people who found themselves thus attacked. But we consider that the question of whose act gave rise to the tragedy is of vital import- ance, and on this point we must insist that not only the evidence of British and French witnesses attest the fact that the shooting began on the Chinese side, but there are also on record written statements by the Danish and Swedish Consuls, and American citizens, who were present at the time, and assert definitely of their own knowledge that the first shots were fired from Shakee. The shots were returned in self-defence by the British and French forces on Shameen, who, as explained above, had reason to believe that an attack on the Island was intended, and in this one action it may be noted that the statement of the Chinese delegation does not attempt to explain why the British have been made the sole objects of resentnient for incidents in which they were not the only foreigners concerned.

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The deaths and casualties caused amongst the Chinese on the 23rd June are a matter for sincere regret, but the grave responsi- bility for the sacrifice of those lives must rest with those who wantonly began the attack, and with the Chinese authorities, who, disregarding the folly and danger of their action, allowed inflammable material to be placed ready to the hands of agitators sceking for an opportunity to cause a conflagration.

The Chinese delegation, in their definition of the ensuing boy cott of British trade, have implied that this movement is a volun- tary abstention from all commercial relations with the British, and they add that the boycott has been sustained by the Chinese people for more than a year. With great respect we say most emphatically that that definition and that statement are entirely at variance with the facts.

It is imposed on an The abstention is not a voluntary one. unwilling people by a small but powerful organisation of persons who maintain the boycott by force of arms and who do not hesi- tate to shoot down their own fellow countrymen when the latter try to continue those normal relations which ought to exist between close and friendly neighbours, and which will certainly, sooner or later, burst through the artificial and economically unsound barriers which prevent their free action at present. It would be easy to test the correctness of this assertion, and we are quite sure that if these barriers were removed the current of trade and friendly intercourse would flow freely again, bringing mutual benefit to Chinese and British alike.

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We need scarcely say that we do not ask that any voluntary All that we ask is abstention should be suppressed by force." that an involuntary abstention should not be maintained by force or artificial means. We do not wish to be misunderstood here. We fully realise that a year ago many Chinese believed, erron- eously as we think, that they had reason for making a protest against the action of various foreign nations in connection with which the incidents referred to above. If they had such reason, we deny, they have made that protest in various ways, but we are convinced that the great bulk of the people, always excepting those whose interest it is to maintain the boycott, would now gladly resume normal relations.

It is further alleged in the statement of the Chinese delegation that "the practical blockade which the Government of Hongkong instituted against Canton and the rest of the Province was a powerful predisposing and, later, continuing factor in the mainten- boycott," and that ance and enforcement of the anti-British **

this Hongkong severance of economic relations with Canton suggested the precise form in which patriotic retaliation for 23rd This is a good example of putting June should express itself."

The Hong-

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a bad construction on perfectly innocent actions. kong Government did not institute any blockade of Canton or the rest of the Province. Hongkong did not sever economic relations with Canton. The prohibition of the exportation of certain food-

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