CO129-442 - Governor Sir May - 1917 [4-6] — Page 177

1

175

!

nominated by the Chamber of Commerce gave notice of the resolution, copy of which is endlosed, and on the 19th. of April the resolution was moved by him and seconded by Mr. C. E. Anton, the present Head in Hongkong of the Firm of Messrs. Jardine, Matheson and Company, Limited. The resolution endorses as far as German subjects are concerned the views of the Chamber on the subject of the return of enemy subjects. I enclose the Hansard debate on the resolution in question and copies of leading articles from the 4 English newspapers commenting upon the de- -bate.+

Subsequently a Meeting of the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce was held at which the recommendation to exclude all Germans from the Colony for a period of 10 years following the declaration of peace and that subsequently they be only admitted to the Colony under strict licence, was re-affirmed. Later a Public Meeting was convened with the same object and the same result, with the important exceptions that no fixed period was named for the duration of the policy of exclusion and that

it is now admitted, to quote from the speech of Mr. P. H. Holyoak, that "it would be presumption and folly to say that this Colony "alone should exclude the Germans". I enclose Press reports of both meetings; and before I leave this subject I would like to emphasize the fact, with reference to Mr. Holyoak's remarks at the meeting of the Hongkong General Chamber of Commerce, that be- -fore he moved his resolution in the Legislative Council it was within Mr. Holyoak's knowledge that the letter of the Chamber of Commerce of the 8th. of January, which was in reply to a direct invitation for the opinion of the Chamber and which contained the substance of his resolution, would be sent to you for your con- -sideration. He also knew that the Government could not accept

+

"S

#had se punte.

the