CO129-474 - Governor Sir Stubbs - 1922 [1-4] — Page 267

Copy.

Enclosure

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Telegram dated 11th March, 1922, from Governor, Hongkong,

to Secretary of State for the Colonies, London.

I am requested to send the following telegram. Begins.

British Unofficial Members of Council and Committee

of the Chamber of Commerce emphatically point out that a most serious state of affairs which is likely to recur

arose in the recent strike owing to intimidation of

workers organised from Canton, with the sympathy of Sun

Yat Sen and other officials of his Government, which

caused a general stoppage of work and paralysed the business of the Colony.

Local police were totally unable to cope with

intimidation since

did their best

S

-

assuming that the Chinese Police

they could obtain no information owing

to refusal of persons intimidated to say anything. Bolshevic propaganda continues. We consider that drastic

reform of the Police Intelligence Service and an increase

of the European contingent are necessary, and that the

military forces at present in the Colony are insufficient

to cope with probable emergencies.

We advise, for the urgent consideration of the

British Government, that strong pressure should be exer-

cised by joint powers for the immediate unification of

China without which diplomatic pressure cannot be effect-

ively brought to bear on the lawless elements now jeopardising foreign relations.

We entirely approve of the emergency legislation

the Hongkong Government has taken so far to deal with the

situation.

Ends,

STUBBS.