Hong Kong Annual Administration Reports, 1841-1941
REPORTS EXHIBITING THE PRESENT STATE
foreigners here are more numerous by 1,187 than in Hong Kong. It will further appear that, in spite of this, order is much more effectually maintained here than it is there, although Hong Kong is a Colony under a well-organized Government, regulated by English law, while in Shanghai we have to deal with the Courts of no less than 12 foreign Governments.
11. The deduction from my argument is, I trust, obvious that in comparison with Hong Kong alone Shanghai cannot justly be denominated a sink of iniquity exceeding in its immorality all other ports of Europe, America, and Asia.”
4. In the first place, Mr. Johnston assumes in the above 7th paragraph, that the resident Hong Kong foreign population was only 3,551 in 1868, and makes that number his standard of comparison for obtaining the ratio of crime to population in Hong Kong and Shanghai, respectively. For such a purpose, all the foreign population under police supervision should in fairness be included in Hong Kong as well as Shanghai. The census returns from which that total was taken do not profess to include soldiers and seamen. Now the foreign population, including seamen and soldiers, as well as residents and others, from Goa, Manilla, and India, has for years been more than double the number stated by Mr. Johnston, and was at the last census shown to be 7,609, a number which at once makes an error of more than 50 per cent. in all Mr. Johnston's comparative statements.
5. Again, it may be true that there are 113 Europeans and 328 Indians in the police of Hong Kong and only 39 European police at Shanghai, if the Consular staff and that of the Supreme Court be omitted. It is not, however, true, as assumed by Mr. Johnston, that the Chinese portion of the force is useful only against natives, which assertion is evidently intended to lead the reader to infer that the foreign police are useful only against foreigners. There is no such distinction. The European and native force act indiscriminately, whether in the city or whether in the outlying villages and harbour, which latter duties alone engage 200 of the force.
6. The proportion, therefore, of Hong Kong police to the total population—121,000—which it supervises is 1 to 191, and the proportion of European police to foreign residents is nearly 1 to 70.
7. Misstatements of the materiel and working of the police force are, however, of little consequence compared with the unnoticed fact that in Shanghai there is only a small level and compact space, and a native population thereon to be watched whose comparatively peaceful and docile character enables them to be governed with peculiar facility, especially as the Chinese authorities lend material assistance on the spot. In Hong Kong there is no such help. The resident population is far larger than that under supervision of the Anglo-American Council at Shanghai, whilst it is, moreover, continually recruited with professional criminals from the most restless and turbulent provinces of the Chinese Empire, so that Hong Kong may be said to be in a constant state of siege from without.
8. In Hong Kong, moreover, the hills and valleys have to be watched and patrolled. Numerous out-stations are maintained, and the police employed on many duties which never occur at all at Shanghai, and in the absence of which it would be essentially unnecessary to maintain so large a force as is required by the special peculiarities of Hong Kong, whether geographical or moral.
9. Nevertheless, no ignorance of special circumstances can be held to justify a wanton distortion of statistical returns, or the incorrect statement that in 1868, there were at Hong Kong 1,033 convictions of foreigners under the head of Murder, Manslaughter, "Robbery with Violence, Assault, Larceny, Kidnapping, Unlawful Possession, and "Piracy," amounting to 29 per cent. on the number of foreigners.
10. The subjoined analysis of the 1,033 convictions of foreigners in 1868 shows that the total percentage was not 29 as stated by Mr. Johnston, but 13.2. It also shows that the number of convictions under the heads given by Mr. Johnston was not 1,033, but 334, of which 225 were cases of common assault or disturbance on board ship.
11. Under Piracy, Kidnapping, and Murder, which Mr. Johnston puts forward so prominently as three of the classes of "serious" crime committed by foreigners in Hong Kong, not even one case occurred!
12. Finally, if both for Hong Kong and Shanghai the cases of assault, which are generally trivial, and unfit to be classed with felonies, and if also the minor offences, such as drunkenness, refusal of duty, &c., be deducted from the totals in each place, the serious crimes committed by foreigners will be found to have been in the ratio of 1.5 per cent. to the population in Shanghai in 1868, and of only 1 per cent. to the population of Hong Kong.
13. Nevertheless, Mr. Johnston did not scruple to assert that the proportion of "serious crime" to foreigners in Hong Kong was 20 per cent., an inexcusable misrepresentation, which I respectfully trust this Government will cause to be corrected, as such misstatement
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Hong Kong Annual Administration Reports, 1841-1941
REPORTS EXHIBITING THE PRESENT STATE
foreigners here are more numerons by 1,187 than in Hong Kong. It will further appear that, in spite of this, order is much more effectually maintained here than it is there, although Hong Kong is a Colony under a well-organized Government, regulated by English law, while in Shanghai we have to deal with the Courts of no less than 12 foreign Governments.
11. The deduction from my argument is, I trust, obvious that in comparison with Hong Kong alone Shanghai cannot justly be denominated a sink of iniquity exceeding in its immorality all other ports of Europe, America, and Asia.”
4. In the first place, Mr. Johnston assumes in the above 7th paragraph, that the resident Hong Kong foreign population was only 3,551 in 1868, and makes that number his standard of comparison for obtaining the ratio of crime to population in Hong Kong and Shanghai, respectively. For such a purpose, all the foreign population under police super- vision should in fairness be included in Hong Kong as well as Shanghai. The census returns from which that total was taken do not profess to include soldiers and seamen. Now the foreign population, including scamen and soldiers, as well as residents and others, from Goa, Manilla, and India, has for years been more than double the number stated by Mr. Johnston, and was at the last census shown to be. 7,609, a number which at once makes an error of more than 50 per cent. in all Mr. Johnston's comparative statements..
5. Again, it may be true that there are 113 Europeans and 328 Indians in the police of Hong Kong and only 39 European police at Shanghai, if the Consular staff and that of the Supreme Court be omitted. It is not, however, true, as assumed by Mr. Johnston, that the Chinese portion of the force is useful only against natives, which assertion is evidently intended to lead the reader to infer that the foreign police are useful only against foreigners. There is no such distinction. The European and native force act indiscriminately, whether in the city or whether in the outlying villages and harbour, which latter duties alone engage 200 of the force..
6. The proportion, therefore, of IIong Kong police to the total population-121,000- which it supervises is 1 to 191, and the proportion of European police to foreigu residents is nearly 1 to 70.
7. Misstatements of the materiel and working of the police force are, however, of little consequence compared with the unnoticed fact that in Shanghai there is only a small level and compact space, and a native population thereon to be watched whose comparatively peaceful and docile character cuables them to be governed with peculiar facility, especially as the Chinese authorities lend material assistance on the spot. In Hong Kong there is no such help. The resident population is far larger than that under supervision of the Anglo- American Conucil at Shanghai, whilst it is, moreover, continually recruited with profes sional criminals from the most restless and turbulent provinces of the Chinese Empire, so that Hong Kong may be said to be in a constant state of sicge from without.
8. In Hong Kong, morcover, the hills and valleys have to be watched and patrolled. Numerous out-stations are maintained, and the police employed on many duties which never occur at all at Shanghai, and in the absence of which it would be essentially unnecessary to maintain so large a force as is required by the special peculiarities of Hong Kong, whether geographical or moral.
9. Nevertheless, no ignorance of special circumstances can be held to justify a wanton distortion of statistical returns, or the incorrect statement that in 1808, there were at Hong Kong 1,033 convictions of foreigners under the head of Murder, Manslaughter, "Robbery with Violence, Assault, Larceny, Kidnapping, Unlawful Possession, and "Piracy," amounting to 29 per cent. on the number of foreigners.
!
10. The subjoined analysis of the 1,033 convictions of foreigners in 1868 shows that the total percentage was not 29 as stated by Mr. Johnston, but 13:2. It also shows that the number of convictions under the heads given by Mr. Johnston was not: 1,033, but 334, of which 225 were cases of common assault or disturbance on board ship.
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11. Under Piracy, Kidnapping, and Murder, which Mr. Johnston puts forward so promi nently as three of the classes of "serious" crime committed by foreigners in Hong Kong, not even one case occurred!
12. Finally, if both for Hong Kong and Shanghai the cases of assault, which are generally trivial, and unfit to be classed with felonies, and if also the minor offences, such as drunkenness, refusal of duty, &c., be deducted from the totals in each place, the serious! crimes committed by foreigners will be found to have been in the ratio of 1-5 per cent. to the population in Shangbai in 1868, and of only 1 per cent. to the population of Hong Kong, 13. Nevertheless, Mr, Johnston did not scruple to assert that the proportion of "serious crime" to foreigners in Hong Kong was 20 per cent., an inexcusable misrepresentation, which I respectfully trust this Government will cause to be corrected, as such misstatement
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