3
300
2
Messrs. Jardine, Matheson and Co. (Limited), one to Messrs. Butterfield and Swire, and one to the Douglas Steamship Company.
The number of seamen on strike exceeds 600, including about 200 or 250 Northern men, who have been forced, against their inclinations, to come out and join the strike.
The men are housed and fed, and receive daily pay, I am told, at the rate of 10 cents for Cantonese and 20 cents for Northerners.
The strike is financed by remittances received from Hong Kong and Canton, with, doubtless, some local contributions. The first remittance, which is said to have come from Hong Kong, amounted to 1,100 dollars, and other remittances of 1,500 dollars and 1,000 dollars have since been made from the South. On the whole, a sum of about 4,000 dollars is said to have been thus paid into the local strike funds.
As I have no means of ascertaining the total funds in the hands of the local strikers, it is difficult to say how long their money may be expected to last. They have probably expended, up to the present, 2,500 dollars at least, but it is reasonable to assume that there is more forthcoming from the source from which they have already been supplied. In other words, they may be in funds for some considerable time.
For some time the men on strike kept very quiet, and there was no reason for apprehension, apart from the recognition of the fact that the presence of a large body of unemployed men in the port might possibly, sooner or later, lead to the outbreak of trouble of some sort. Latterly, however, the political agitators, who are behind the strike have seen fit to adopt a more aggressive attitude. increase, and threats of force and violence have been openly employed. These threats Intimidation is on the have been particularly marked in the case of the proposed strike, which the Seamen's Union is endeavouring to force through, of all the household servants in the employ of foreigners, regardless of the fact that the servants themselves have no wish whatever to stop work, and, if they do strike, will only do so because they are terrorised by the union. Violence has also been threatened in the case of any attempt to replace the strikers by men brought in from outside, or to re-ship any of the seamen who have come out, but who may be willing to rejoin their ships, such as, for example, the Northern men, who do not appear to be in sympathy with the strike, but have been coerced into going ashore.
As was the case in connection with the boycott, it seems useless to count on auy effective assistance from the Chinese authorities.
I do not, however, wish to give the impression that I take an alarmist view of the situation. I only desire to point out that the situation, in my opinion, is potentially capable of becoming somewhat serious, and furnishes grounds for some anxiety as to what may happen.
Reference has been made above to the boycott. completely overshadowed by the more immediate and pressing importance of the This question has been so strike, that it would appear to have been shelved of late. indicate that the question has been disposed of as far as Swatow is concerned. On the This should not be taken to contrary, there is every reason to anticipate that the conclusion of the strike will see a revival of the boycott agitation. I offer this opinion at the risk of being considered unduly pessimistic, and in the hope that I shall eventually be proved to have been 80 in fact
A copy of this despatch has been sent to His Majesty's consul-general at Canton.
H. KING.
I have, &c.
Enclosure 2 in No. 1.
boycott of Messrs. Butterfield and Swire. in order to get the Bangkok and Singapore trade into Chinese hands. The concern is backed by the Students' Union, which is financially interested in it.
17
to
With a view to being enabled to despatch the steamship "Pin Samud Bangkok, the Poling Company, working through the Students' Union, obtained permission from the strikers to clear that vessel with cargo, but not with This permission was based on the ground that the steamship "Pin Samu" carries a passengers. Siamese, and not a Chinese, crew. The refusal to allow the carriage of passengers was due to the fear that, amongst them, there might be renegade strikers availing themselves of a means of slipping away from the port.
A party of seamen was sent by the strike leaders to search the steamship "Pin Samud," and to ascertain for a fact that the crew consisted solely of Siamese, and that there were no Chinese carried, or secreted, on the vessel. The Siamese crew, however, refused to allow the seamen to come on board, and prevented them from doing so Greatly incersed, the seamen returned on shore, and, shortly afterwards, a body of 100 or more of them made for the Poling Company's office, and proceeded to wreck it. In addition, a sum of money, sail to have amounted to 2,000 dollars, was removed by them. In parenthesis, it may be remarked that the Poling Company have magnified the affair to the extent of estimating the number of rioters at over 300, and the amount of money stolen at 5,000 dollars. Armed police were despatched to the scene of trouble, but not with sufficient celerity to be of any use. By the time they arrived, the rioting seainen had made tracks, and had disappeared. I believe no arrests have been made.
Apart from its furnishing a proof of the existence of a turbulent spirit in the strikers, this particular affair may be viewed by us with equanimity, if not, indeed, with a certain amount of malicious satisfaction. Taking into consideration the object for which the Poling Company was formed, I must confess that I am not gifted with a sufficiency of the altruistic spirit to entertain any sympathy for that concern in any troubles with which it may be inflicted. There is, inoreover, a touch of humour in the thought that the action of the seamen may, probably, have caused them to incur the displeasure of the Students' Union, thereby creating a situation capable of interesting developments.
H.M.S." Carlisle " arrived here on the afternoon of the 13th, and will make a short stay in port. Though the situation, at the present moment, is not of a nature to necessitate the presence of a warship, the visit of H.M.S. "Carlisle " will, no doubt, exercise a beneficial moral effect.
A copy of this despatch has been forwarded to His Majesty's consul-general at Cantou.
Enclosure 3 in No. 1.
Consul-General Sir E. Fraser to Sir B. Alston.
(No. 55. Very Confidential.)
Sir,
I have, &c.
H. KING.
1
Shanghai, February 28, 1922. WITH reference to my despatch No. 42 of the 10th instant, I have the honour to transmit herewith a copy of a despatch which I addressed on the 25th instant to his Excellency the Governor of Hong Kong on the subject of the seamen's strike at Hong Kong.
The information supplied as to the connection of Dr. Sun Yat-sen's Government with the movement is supported by the enclosed memorandum which I have received from the Joint Naval and Military Bureau at Hong Kong,
I have, &c.
(No. 4.) Sir,
Consul King to Sir B. Alston.
Swatow, February 15, 1922.
WITH reference to my despatch No. 3 of the 11th instant, on the subject of the seamen's strike, I have the honour to report that, with the exception of a disturbance on the premises of the Poling Company, the situation has remained unchanged.
The Poling Company are the local agents of the Chinese charterers at Bangkok of the steamship "Pin Samud," a vessel flying the Siamese flag, and owned by the Siamese Government.
The company was formed for the express purpose of taking advantage of the
Enclosure in No. 1.
E. H. FRASER,
Consul-General Sir E. Fraser to Sir R. E. Stubbs (Hong Kong).
(Very Confidential.)
Sir,
Shanghai, February 25, 1922. WITH reference to my despatch of the 10th instant on the subject of the seamen's strike at Hong Kong, I have the honour to inform your Excellency that the following
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