efforts to support the Canton Government, prejudicing
the interests of Chinese merchants in Hongkong ( e.g+
by the levying of subscriptions and the forcing of
the circulation of Cantonese notes ), they began to
organise themselves into groups and started Societies
of their own with a view to protecting themselves
and preventing the Sze Yap Association from monopolising
political influence in Canton. Thus it happens that
at the present time there have been formed in Hongkong
16 so-called Commercial and Industrial Associations
representing different districts.
ΤΟ
An effort has been made recently to weld all
these Societies into one central Society representative
of the Chinese Commercial intereats in Hongkong.
this movement I am ending my support and if events
can be so guided that the control of this central
Association shall be in the hands of the older
members of the Chinese community who have a real
stake in the Colony, then it will be possible to
break the power of the Sze Yap Association, which is inimical to the real interests of the Chinese community
and dangerous to the peace and good order of the
Colony. To assist that consummation it may be
necessary to declare the Sze Yap Association an
unlawful Society.
6.
With the Sze Yap Association and with the Canton Government, I regret to say that the two Chinese Members of Legislative Council are very
closely associated.
There is incontestable evidence that,
:
long before the revolution broke out, both these gentlemen were in the confidence of the revolutionaries,
who
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