BUTT
C. O.
635
GECR
REGE 6 JAN 17.
GOVERNMENT HOUSE,
HONGKONG. 16th. December, 1912.
83
Sir,
Z
In continuation of my Despatch marked Confident
440743
-ial of the 2nd. instant, I have the honour to report that the
boycott of the Low Level Tramway still continues.
Every effort to induce the influential Chinese
to break the boycott has proved unavailing. No reasonable ground is alleged by anyone for continuing it and there is no doubt that
the principal supporters of it are the Young China. Party referred
to in my previous Despatch. Rer the most important and energetic
agency of this party in South China is the Sz Yap Association -
Sz Yap meaning the "four districts" of Sanning, Sanui, Yanping and Hoiping in the South of the Kwangtung Province. This Association
composed originally of returned Californian and Australian coolie
and artisan emigrants, who though they could often talk fair English could not in most cases write their own names in any language, came into prominence as a reorganization in Hongkong
about 1910: and was excellent material ready to the hand of the conspirators against the Manchu Dynasty. Seizing their opportuniti- -as, since the Revolution they have practically ruled Canton, and - being entirely unscrupulous have become powerful enough to
force important Hongkong merchants from their districts to join their ranks: but the moving spirits for the most part are still men of little or no education, not engaged in commerce and with no interest in the trade of the Colony. The Association is viewed
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
LEWIS HARCOURT, M.P..
80..
&c...
with
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