CO129-399 - Governor Sir May - 1913 [1-2] — Page 275

L

especially in matters affecting the Colony.

He asked

me if I wished him to decline to give any advice

and whatever to the Canton Government, which I said was that

his best course, when asked by them for advice, would

be to introduce his interrogators to the Registrar-

General or Colonial Secretary, so that the Government

might give it's advice direct. I said I thought

this would be the safest method.

My reason for troubling you with this despatch

at the present time is to show how close is the

between

connection at the powerful Sze Yap Association,

the Canton Government and the Members of Legislative

Council, and how difficult the position of the Government which can no longer trust it's constituted Chinese advisers. There is however one hopeful

feature in the situation. It is that, owing to their support of the revolutionary party, neither Mr.wei Yuk nor Sir Kai Ho Kai retain the position they used to hold in the eyes of the most influential section

The Chinese merchants of the Chinese community.

and traders who followed Sir Kai Ho Kai in his

support of the revolution are not men who have a

large stake in the Colony.

9. The loss of influence of the Members of Legislative Council was very noticeable during the

Both of recent boycott of the Electrio Tramways, them made useful speeches on two occasions it is true, But they were absent, though specially invited, from a most important meeting convened by the Tung Wa Hospital, which was summoned to end the boycott; and

principally

I confess that I have had to rely on the support

of Mr.Lau Chu-pak and of the newly elected Chairman

of the

273