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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :--

TLC.O.882/11

سلسلسا

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

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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incident may be considered trifling, but it is an instance of the brutal treatment by strike pickets of inoffensive Chinese citizens.

On 24th July a motor-boat, which was being used to convey police to and from salvage operations on the stranded vessel, left Lowu at about 6.15 p.m. for Lok Ma Chau (Chinese characters). In addition to the crew of the motor-boat, there were on board At about 6.40 p.m., four Indian constables and six Chinese. when the boat was opposite Chik Mei (Chinese characters) vil- lage, where there is a small temple on the river bank, a shot was fired from Chinese territory. Those on board saw a man in blue uniform, with a red band on his arm, kneeling and taking deliber- ate aim at the motor-boat; he fired three or four rounds, none of which took effect. The Indian police, who were armed with rifles, did not return the fire.

This incident, and the firing upon the crew of the stranded For a police boat on 20th July, are the first instances of such conduct on the part of the strike pickets since last December. long period after that month the pickets were unarmed, but the majority now carry rifles.

This recrudescence of activity gravely endangers the mainten- peace on the frontier, and would appear to be a deliberate ance of attempt to provoke an incident at a time when the Governments of Canton and Hongkong are endeavouring to negotiate a settlement of the boycott. These armed strike pickets are in effect merely organised banditti, and, in lodging an emphatic protest against their activities, I have the honour to express the hope that the Canton Government, for its own good name and in the interests of law and order, will take steps to suppress them.

I have, &c.,

J. F. BRENAN, Acting Consul-General.

The Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs,

C.19551/26.

Canton.

No. 32.

The Governor of Hongkong to the Secretary of State for the Colonies.

Secret.

SIR,

(Received 18th October, 1926.)

Government House, Hongkong, 17th September, 1926,

In your telegram* to me, dated the 9th September, you asked C.16818:26; not printed.

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whether recent events had modified my views as to the desirability of making a reply to the Canton Government at the present moment on the proposal for an international inquiry into the Shakee-Shameen affair of the 23rd June, 1925, and you requested me to review the situation in the light of the latest developments. Accordingly, I sent a copy of your telegram to Mr. J. F. Brenan, lis Majesty's Consul-General at Canton, asking for his views; and, as I hoped to have his reply by Monday, the 13th September, I convened a conference at Government House for that date.

2. Mr. Brenan's reply did not reach me until the afternoon of the 14th September, when Commander J. U. P. Fitzgerald, Senior Naval Officer, West River, brought it to Hongkong in person. Meanwhile, however, I received a copy of Mr. Brenan's telegram to the Foreign Office, No. 041, of the 12th September, and also a semi-official letter to me, dated the 11th September, of which I enclose a copy.*

3. It appears that the Canton Government was thoroughly frightened, as we hoped it would be, by the naval action taken at Canton and Swatow against strike pickets on the 4th September: (please see my secret despatch of the 12th September†)." Accord- ingly, as I learn from Commander Fitzgerald, Mr. Eugene Ch'en, the acting Minister for Foreign Affairs at Canton, wrote a private note to Mr. Brenan begging him to come to his office and discuss the matter. Mr. Brenan complied. 1 regret this, because in my opinion it would have been better for Mr. Brenan to reply, also in a private note, that the time had now come for Mr. Eugene Ch'ên to return, in Shameen, the official call paid on him by the British Consul-General and never acknowledged. Such a reply would have added to the alarm of the Canton Government. When, however, Mr. Brenan did call on Mr. Eugene Ch'ên, the latter appears to have suggested a very pecu- liar, and, as 1 believe, an entirely duplicitous scheme. There was to be first of all an exchange of private (not official) letters, as the result of which the British Navy would suspend its action against strike pickets on the Canton waterways, and then the Canton river and British wharves at Canton would be patrolled by Chinese police, who would prevent strike pickets from function- ing afloat. This being duly done, Mr. Brenan would telegraph to London pressing for an early reply to the Cantonese proposal of an international inquiry. Such reply, when received, would at once be communicated to Mr. Ch'ên, who undertook, upon receipt of the reply, to give an immediate answer to our proposal of an industrial loan. It seems to have been understood between Mr. Brenan and Mr. Ch'ên that our reply to the inquiry proposal would be unacceptable and that the Canton Government would refuse our loan proposal. If this proved to be the case, Mr. Ch'ên promised immediately to make further practicable pro- posals for the resumption of the boycott negotiations on other lines."

4. Mr. Brenan acquiesced, and the first part of this scheme was actually carried out, On the 11th September Mr. Ch'ên wrote

+C.19548/26; not printed.

• Enclosure 1.

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