CO129-441 - Governor Sir May - 1917 [1-3] — Page 131

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European labour in the Colony:-

Mr. Edkins head of Messrs. Butterfield and Swire. Mr. Dodwell of Messrs. Dodwell & Co. and representing

Hongkong and Whampoa Dock Company.

Mr. N. J. Stabb, Chief Manager, Hongkong and Shanghai

Bank.

Mr. Anton, head of Jardine, Matheson & Co.

Mr. Ede representing Union Insurance Society of Canton.

Mr. P. H. Holyoak representing Messrs. Reiss & Co.

Mr. Shewan representing Messrs. Shewan, Tomes & Co. at which I read the questions proposed to me and the answers which

I propose to give to the writers of the letter, forming enclosure No. 5.

I amplified (a) of my proposed reply to

question 2 in the following sense:- Namely (a) that unless a board appointed to decide as to who could be spared for Military

■ervice outside the Colony, were based on the compulsory obliga- -tion to serve on the part of those whose cases were enquired into, no effective action could be taken in pursuance of the board's decision that an individual could be spared; and (b) that if the suggestion was that the decision of such a board, not based on the principle of compulsion, was to induce individuals not willing to serve beyond the limits of the Colony, to so serve; then the suggestion amounted to one of moral suasion of the nature of intimidation since the effect would be to hold the individual up to approbrium as wanting in patriotism. I said that such action would in my opinion be entirely wrong in principle and that I could not support it.

I went on to say that compulsion might be of two kinds:- (1) fæ service beyond the limits of the Colony and (2) for sertice within the Colony for its defence. As regards (1)

I pointed out the following objections. (a) that if applied to mas

European race only, the number in this small Colony, in

of

view of the many who had already given their services, would be