CO885-11 — Page 205

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

TELEC.O.882/11

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

| ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE

BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

t

C. 30001/27 G. [No. 17].

6-1

No. 16.

The Governor of Hong Kong to the Secretary of State for the Colonies.

(Secret.) SIR,

(Received 11th July, 1927.)

Government House, Hong Kong, 9th June, 1927.

The Canton Political Council, whose appointment was reported in my secret despatch of the 28th May,* has, as one of its first acts, promulgated the final text of the long-debated regulations dealing with labour disputes: (see my confidential despatch of the 15th January lastt). A copy of these regulations as published in the local Press is enclosed and attention is specially invited to the duties imposed on the police in regard to strike-breakers by Regulation No. 7. Even when due allowance has been made for the divergence, so usual in China, between published and actual intention, these regulations pro- mulgated by an anti-Bolshevik régime within a few weeks of the violent suppression of its antagonists must form a fresh warning against undue optimism. It is indeed difficult to understand how any hopes of an early improvement of the British position in China can be entertained. The Nationalist party, which now controls the whole country as far north as the Yellow River, never ceases to pro- claim its unchanged determination to harass and browbeat the foreigner until he has humbled himself to perfect equality with the Chinese, under which conditions, as Hankow has shown, he can neither trade nor live in China. In this connection I invite atten- tion to the new official list of Kuomintang slogans published by the special committee for the suppression of Communism in the enclosed copy of the Canton Gazette of the 23rd May, and especially to slogans Nos. 15 and 16. In the same strain is a statement by Cheung Ting-fan, reported in the enclosed extracts§ from the Man Kwok Yat Po, Canton, of the 9th May. He states that the first of China's four great enemies are the "Foreign Governments in China and individual foreigners in China." Cheung has been a close associate of Marshal Tseung Kai-shek since the latter's first rise to power in Canton, and he is now Chief of Staff to General Pak-Ts'ung-hei (Pei Hsiung-hsi), who commands the eastern wing of the Nationalist army based on Shanghai. Some comfort may be per- haps extracted from the manifesto issued by Mr. C. C. Wu on his return to power as Minister for Foreign Affairs in the new Govern- ment at Nanking. A copy of this statement is published in the enclosed copy of the Canton Gazette of the 18th May. It thus falls in time between the statement of Cheung Ting-fan and the new slogans. Mr. Wu, as might be expected from a man of his education and experience, shows some approach to a reasonable and statesman- like view of the position. But Mr. Wu's caution is notorious and hè has abundant reason to know the value of the British flag to Chinese politicians.

* O. 30001/27 C. [No. 12] not printed.

Not reprinted.

† 30182/27 [No. 1]: not printed. $.Not printed.

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2. Mr. Ch'an Fu-muk (see my secret despatch of the 13th May,* paragraph 2) continues to take a prominent place in Canton affairs. He has recently secured the closure for three days of the In Tseung Po Right" section newspaper at Canton, where it is the organ of the " of the Kuomintang, as a punishment for its attacks on his extremism. His name also appears in the enclosed report† from the local Chinese Press of certain charges in the management of the Man Kwok Yat Po and Kwok Man San Man, which have so often been mentioned in my despatches as the vehicles of extreme Nationalism at Canton. The exact nature of these charges is not clear; but the issue of the Kwok Man San Man of the 30th May (anniversary of the Shanghai incident) contained an anti-British pictorial supplement of the most offensive description, purporting to be issued officially by the Propaganda Bureau of the local Government, while the Man Kwok Yat Po of the 20th May contained headline:-"Bestial soldiers of British Imperialism coming to China."

3. It' will be observed that the copy of the Canton Gazette of the 23rd May (Enclosure No. 2) contains an "apology and correction " A and is accompanied by a slip announcing its reorganisation. further accountt of the arrest of its former editor, Li Tsoi, is now enclosed (see paragraph 2 of my secret despatch of the 26th May§). 4. On the 30th May there occurred what was at first thought to be a repetition of the outrage on the 8.8. Lungshan (see my secret despatches of the 19th and 24th May). The s.s. Kinshan, belonging to the same British company, while passing Whampoa about 1.40 p.m. was suddenly fired upon from the south bank of the river, one of the bullets narrowly missing the officers on the bridge. The assailants on this occasion were not in uniform and, as the Provincial Commis- sioner for Foreign Affairs received the Consul-General's protest with every appearance of genuine concern, it was decided to accept the theory that the attack was the work of irresponsible persons, possibly remnants of the "Peasants' Army" seeking to create an incident, or perhaps genuine peasants whose lands had suffered from the wash of the steamer, though it is to be noted that the vessel was not pro- ceeding at any great speed and that other (Chinese-owned) vessels steaming at the same time and speed were not molested. The Harbour Master of Hong Kong has been instructed to notify all lines con- cerned to avoid this channel while its waters remain at their present high level on account of flood.

5. As a result of the measures taken to secure compliance with the British demands made in the case of the s.s. Lungshan, the Commis- sioner for Foreign Affairs at Canton has notified His Majesty's Consul-General that the area where H.M.S. Dauntless anchored is mined and must be avoided by shipping. The statement is probably untrue and may have been issued merely with a vague idea of saving face."

6. I am glad to be able to report that the through express traffic was resumed over the Kowloon-Canton Railway on the 1st June, our section

*0, 30001/27 B. [No. 27]: not printed. + Not printed.

$ C. 30001/27 C. [No. 12]; act printed.

C. 80001/27 C. [No. 8]: not printed, and No. 14.

Not reprinted.

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