CO885-11 — Page 170

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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

गग

Reference :-

C.O.882/11

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

|ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

328

connection, namely that the Canton authorities have ordered the arrest of the heads of the Strike Committee, among them the notorious So Shiu-Ching, leader of the 1922 strike, on the ground on fire in that the Tung Yuen buildings were deliberately set order to destroy records which would otherwise have been evidence of serious peculation.

7. The wireless station at Swatow has notified the Government station here of its readiness to resume normal traffic, and arrange ments to that end are proceeding.

8. The Commissioner of Foreign Affairs at Swatow has informed the foreign Consuls at that port in an identic communi- cation that it is the duty of foreigners trading within Chinese territory to comply with the laws and ordinances of the Nationalist Government and has requested the Consuls to instruct their nationals to pay the new internal tax. The consular body has not yet replied, but in the meantime British subjects are paying the tax at Swatow.

I have, &c.,

C. CLEMENTI,

C 30001/27 [No. 17.]

No. 45.

Governor, &c.

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

(Secret.)

SIR,

(Received 24th January, 1927.)

Government House, Hongkong, 24th December, 1926.

-

With reference to my secret despatch of the 3rd December* and my telegrams of the 13th and 22nd Decembert, I have the honour to enclose the following documents relating to the anti-British boycott and to the situation in south China generally ;-

(1) Two extracts from reports by the Assistant Superin tendent of Police, New Territories, dated the 5th and 12th December respectively.

(2) Three extracts from memoranda on current events, by the Commissioner of Customs at Canton, dated the 9th, 10th and 11th December respectively.

• No. 44. †C 22978/26 and C 23561 26; not printed.

* Not printed.

329

(3) A translation of an announcement appearing in the Kwok Man San Man, Canton, of the 15th December, regard- ing compulsory arbitration in certain labour disputes.

(4) A précis translation of the terms of settlement of the Canton Bank strike as published in the 'a Kiu Yat Po, Hongkong, on the 15th December, and comments thereon by the junior Chinese member of the Hongkong Legislative Council.

(5) A translation of an extract from the Man Kwok Yat Po, Canton, of the 16th December, containing resolutions of the Central Executive Committee of the Kuomintang on the subject of labour violence.

(6) A press report of an address by M. Borodin on the aims of the Nationalist Government.

(7) A copy of a letter addressed by the Chairman of the British Chamber of Commerce in Canton to the Chairman of the China Committee, Hongkong, dealing with Russian influence on the Nationalist Government.

(8) A press report of a speech delivered by Mr. Sun Fo to a Kuomintang meeting in Hankow.

2. The repressive measures promulgated by the Canton Authorities, as set forth in enclosures Nos. 3 and 5, have not been received without protest by the labour organisations in Canton. The Workers' Representatives Conference, which claims to represent two hundred labour unions, is reported to have sent a circular telegram of protest to all branches of the Kuomintang accusing General Li Chai-Sum and the new Com- missioner of Public Safety (General Chien Ta-chun [Chinese characters]) of counter-revolutionary aims, and a definite trial of strength between the Right and Left wings of the Kuomintang may be impending. But, whatever the issue of this struggle, it is now clear that no measures will be taken to curb the activities of boycott organisations or to protect British concerns, such as the Hongkong, Canton and Macao Steamboat Company, against the tyranny of labour unions. The manner in which this tyranny is imposed is shown in the accompanying* report by the Captain Superintendent of Police of his observations on the occasion of his abortive visit to Canton for the purpose of discussing joint action against the pirates of Bias Bay: (see my telegram of the 20th December.†)

3. As already reported in my telegram of the 22nd December.¦ the owners of the British river steamers have found themselves unable to continue their resistance to the demands of the Canton Seamen's Union and have accordingly discharged or arranged to lischarge their strike-breaking crews, and to engage crews sup- plied by the Union. Details of the arrangements made are given

† C 23487/28; not printed. Not printed.

C23561/28; not printed.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :--

TELEC.O. 882/11

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH—NOT TO