CO129-448 - Governor Sir May - 1918 [4-6] — Page 282

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REC

34013

REG 11 JUL '8

EXTRACT FROM THE HONGKONG DAILY PRESS OF

THE 17th. APRIL, 1918.

281

"Times" History of the war. Vol 1 Part 173. "Dec. 11-1919.

p. 137-8)

In Hongkong vigorous action by the community was required

before the interned German merchants were eventually deported,

(a)

despite undeniable evidence of their continued intrigues with

(b)

the Chinese, despite the fact that German agents were using

the Crown Colony and the Treaty Porte of China as centres for

(c)

a Bolo propaganda of scurrilous falsehood and as bases for

(a)

creating sedition and unrest in India.

The liquidation of

the business of the Deutsch-Asiatische Bank and other large

German businessproceeded with a leisurely deliberation which

(e)

evoked much unfavourable comment.

The benevolent attitude

diaplayed by the administration and the widespread belief

that many Germans' places were being kept warm for them,

evoked several strong expressions of dissatisfaction from the

unofficial members of the Legislative Council and the British

(f)

commercial community. The last of these demonstrations of

public feeling took place on April 19th. 1917, when the three

unofficial members of the Council brought forward a resolation

calling for the exclusion of Germans from Hongkong for a

perlod