CO885-11 — Page 153

153

294

I belonged to the Tit Hut Tun (Chinese characters), i.e., Blood and Iron Brigade. The C.P. is very powerful, but our Tit Hut Tun had only a limited number of members, and has now been dissolved through the intrigue of the C.P. No members of the Tit Hut Tun are over 30 years old.

I and four of my friends have found out the secrets of the C.P. I propose to re-organise our Tit Hut Tun and to work to remove I beg that Hongkong the C.P. by propaganda and other means. Government will finance me and supply me with arms for such work.

29th October, 1926.

1

I am a graduate at Wing Shan, opposite Wong Po. Cheung Man Wong (Chinese characters) started the Tun six years ago: he was a law student in America. I was formerly a seaman. am now an officer of the strike pickets-I am drill instructor. There are many Communists among the pickets also; we are Right and Left parties. Our leader (we call ourselves Right) is Govern- Wong Yung (Chinese characters), a Whampoa Cadet. ment, of course, knows nothing about all this. Our membership is 1,000-2,000; it used to be 20,000-we expelled a lot as unreliable. All our members have occupation and do not need support. All our 2,000 are members of the Tau Chat or the Chap Sz Tui.

We know the secrets of the C.P., and we propose to publish them as well as their crimes; and also we can send assassins to murder all the leading officers of the C.P. In this way we can remove Communism; we know we have the support of Li Cheung Tat (Chinese characters), the present Captain Superintendent of Police, Canton. He dare not yet help openly, of course; and he has not been recruiting among his men. But he will let us do anything and keep his eyes shut. I am not afraid that the CP. can hit before we can, or harder, and so remove us before we remove them. I have two secret departments unknown to the Military" Departments, rest even of my own party; they are as apart from

means

"

Political." Military Department" really Murder Squad "; the existence and composition is only known to six of our men, and not to the C.P. at all. The squads in all number about 20 men, and they are practically all founders of our Union. These men are all students; many are members of the "Stick Party "-they carry a stick wherever they go. one that would be a useful weapon.

42

" tai pui I am on leave from the pickets; but I am here as (Chinese characters) for the Tit Hut Tun. The pickets are still

embargo working-not disbanded. The "blockade "--the -their work at the front on the water is stopped; but they centre in Fong Tsun (Chinese characters) where they are trained. You must not consider the strike as over; it will be developed after Kiangsi is defeated. It will return to the picket system again. The Communists at a meeting told our men that the Conserva- tives, who are in power in England, would be prepared to use gunboats to remove the pickets; so they advised that we should remove them ourselves for the time being. All the organisa-

295

tion receives pay just as before. The Strikers' Customs shed is given up already, and there is no collection by the Strike Organi- sation. Government has not begun to charge anything in its place yet; so just now there is no extra collection whatever. Government will later collect its proposed taxes through the agency of the Customs. The Strikers' Matshed is not used at all; all the pickets in and around Canton have been disarmed. They gave back their arms willingly, after an explanation by Tang Chung Ha (Chinese characters) (Head of the pickets), and P'àng Ut Shang (Chinese characters) (President of the Training and Education Department of the pickets)--both Communists. They said-" In dissolving the Organisation, it is our plot; we pro- pose to show the British signs of disbandment, to prevent hos- tilities. But we do not propose to disband in truth." The idea is that the arms can be got back again when wanted.

The boycott will not be removed on 10th; but on the 10th there will be a big procession of all the pickets, and they will all be sent over to Fong Ts'un, and then the boycott will be lifted. The pickets will go to Fong Ts'un willingly; they know they cannot fight, and can only play tricks." At Fong Ts'un they will be fed and supported and paid-all as usual; when Kiangsi is beaten they will return just as now.

Fees for passengers are still collected by the Kau Tung Po or the Pa Kung Ui, and that is still left in existence and in opera- tion. The people pay the demands because they are afraid; they know the pickets are disarmed but they know also that things are not finished till the 10th. At 12 noon on the 10th, the tax on passengers' will be removed; the Chap Sz Tui will even then continue to seize any British goods they may find. They will do this either on the ships or ashore. By that time the Chap Sz Tui will have no fear because they will be Government servants— the Department will be taken over and managed by the Govern- ment. Non-British goods will be allowed to go through, sub- ject to any new taxation that may be arranged. The tax of 2 per cent. will be charged on all foreign goods-British goods will not be admitted-and was suggested by the merchants to secure the removal of the boycott; and the merchants at the same time promised not to buy British goods. Out of the tax each striker will get a single payment of $100 down; it is estimated that the tax will yield $500,000 a month, and each month 3,000 strikers will be sent away.

In all, there are about 50,000 strikers, including pickets. This includes the people who are being fed. The numbers drawing pay are about 2,000; salary runs from $80 to $30. The rest get food and 60 cents a month. Of the 2,000 the Chief is So Shiu Ching (Chinese characters) $80 a month, and the C.P. gives him $40 as well, and he gets $10 also from the Hongkong branch of Kwok Man tong. Under him is the Head of the Picket Com- mittees, Tsui Shing Cheung (Chinese characters), who is head of the newly-formed Chap Sz Tui. It consists of 1,600 men and has only been formed this past week. Tsui Shing Cheung organised it; he was a military cadet in Yunnan, native of King

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

TPLEICO. 882/11

|PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

| ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

1