CO129-402 - Governor Sir May - 1913 [7-8] — Page 272

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me, that Dr. Chan Chik-yue is a danger to the peace and good order of the Colony, and I have accordingly asked your sanction to deny to him its hospitality. The same remarks apply to Sun Yat-sen

and Wu llon-man, and I may add that I have reason to believe that

the majority of Chinese Lerchants with a stake in the Colony would endorse the action of the Government in deporting these men if they come here after being warned to stay away.

2.

It is worth noting here that the notices in the

native press of the declaration of independence which appeared on

the 19th. instant referred to the declaration as one of the in-

-dependence of the Province. The immediate result was a collapse

Juiz of the value of Canton llotes as described in a separate Despatch

rental which I have recorded another page in the history of this isparately

fatuous and ignorant financial escapade on the part of the Canton

Authorities.

This collapse forced the Acting Governor-

-Ceneral to hasten to explain that the Kwangtung Province did not

wish to secede from the Central Government and that its object was

merely to oppose the President. I have not seen the text of the

actual Proclamation but the wording of the despatch from the

Acting Governor-General to Mis Britannic Majesty's Consul-General

forwarded in my Despatch wider reference supports the contention

for a day. of Chan Kring-ming. The explanation had some effect in restoring

to some extent confidence in the lote Issue.

3.

or two

The effect in Hongkong of the declaration of

independence so far has been as described in my telegram. The only

breach of the peace that has resulted is that apparently at the

instance of the revolutionary Government or ivs supporters of the

Kuo in Tang attempts have been made to intimidate certain Chinese

newspaper offices in the Colony against publishing news from the

scene of hostilities in Central China unfavourable to the

revolutionaries. The Police have taken prompt measures to

stop this. An arrest has been made and the culprit has been sent

to