CO129-477 - Public Offices - 1922 — Page 387

Enclosure the Kr, Jamieson's 4'spatch No. 80 of 15th June, 1922.

Extat from the Cante Times of 15th June, 1922.

Canton, Thursday, June 15, 1922. ER-

386

Official Despatch To The Portuguese

Consul General In Cantor.

On the 28th May, a Portuguese soldier in Mabao was abusirg Chinese woman. The Chiger workmen went to her help, and were arrested by the Portogurre constables. The labour unions, ering that the workmen were innocently arrested, went to the Police Station and asked for their releas. Wong Kui Chuo, the abairman of the General Unions Association, went to the atalin and asked that they might be hail d out. The Portuguese authori- ties took no notice of the request. The saldiere then began to fire on the crowd, wounding three and kill ng tao. The workmen stood in front of the Station for the whole night asking for the

of

They created Lange arrested. lase

trouble whatever. On the 29th-A Prtuguese gunboat with soldiers on board came alongside the Station. They landet end one of the eficers on the wharf started to fire as a warning. The constables started a general fire killing on the spot thirty eight workmen bo e names are known and wourding toany others. Some of the wounded were stabbed to death,

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The above bad been reported from different directions and was confirmed by a report from an officer of my office sent out to nvestigate into the matter. Again it is reported that after the 28th, my Chinese were killed and wounded by the Portuguese oldiers. The above bad ben twice protested by me ae record.

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Upon receipt of your reply of the 5th just enclosing a copy of the letter from the Macao Governor, I find that the statement made in the latter is quite different from the investigation made by our Government. The facts contained in the letter are found to be

oreliable. I bg to point out, follows:-

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WI! &

In the Macao Governor's reply, it is stated that the rout originated from an African soldier abusing a prostitute. Bat the pot where the Chinese Woman WA1 abused was at the Chineze uot the Merchants Steamship Company's wharf, which was

How is located.

it prasible place where the brothels for the Macao authorities to know that she

pro- ratitute, and even take it for granted that she was, there is no reason for the soldier to abuse a woman on the public road, and allow no passers-by to stop him from such mischievous behavior. This shows that the anldier knows nothing about discipline and the Macao Governm nt is to be responsible for the incident.

In Europe and America, when such an abuas is committed by Piegroes on ladies, it generally creates public excitement, and is is not seld' m that the negroes get struck to death. How is it possible for the Macao Governor to say that this is a pretext of a plot plan- ned by the workmen? Furthermore, the workmen in Macos are hours. tly working for their living. They went to the Station and applied for the release of their follow-workmen through their own goodwill. If the Portuguese authorities sincerely respected the lives of the Chin- ese and treated the workmen well, there were good ways to disperas them. The statement that the shooting was without alterustive and the deep regret expressed by the Macio Government could in no way m.ve the feeling of toleration by the Canton Government and the Chinese population. The srembly of workmen in front of a police station making applications to the authorities, are commonly seen in Europe, America and China. There had never been a case where solliers were sent out to fire repeatedly on the crowd caur- ing over a hundred of dead and wounded.

As

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neither

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all the workmen had

au inch of bar in their benle, nor bad they brought with them Brearms of any kind

belligerente

could would, it be a fact that the Portuguese soldiers and constables could And no hotter way to disperse the crowd than to fire and kill them? It must either be that the solliere and constables were disobeying the orders of their superiors or that the Macao authorities were Jinregarding the lives of the Chinare. How would the Macao authorities give an explanation for that? To say that the warkmen had long been contriving to strike and to plot against the Macao Government before the bloodshed is rather perverse sad only

to palliate the Government's own faults. Justice is in the carte of man, It is quite impossible to enter the sun with only one hand. In ebort, the incident originated from the insult of the African soldier towards the Chinese woman and what is still worse, the Macao authorities bad brea prompting the idiera and police to kill the Chinese people freely. For such facts our Government has had sufficient evidence. Such behaviour is not only destructive to the principle of justice but also detrimental to moral law. It is therefore apparent that they paid no regard to the friendly relations between the two countries, and our Goverc ment deems it a great abame. What is contained in your reply is bit fictitious, and I notice that you have attached importance to slight points while the important ones have been put aside. By You erase the faults of your subordinates and do not seem to the lenet inclination to repent. With a view to protecting lives of the Chinese residents in Macan, our Government has to Le adequate measures to deal with the case, I bedience the instruction of His Excellency the Civil Governor, beg to lodge the following demande before you. If the O Government has the sincerity to maintain the good friend- ver existed between the two countries, it should act according Jat we expect.

1. The killing of Chinese workmen by the Portuguese soldiers and police is nothing but a disgrace to the national dignity of Chira. A delegate of the Macan Government accompanied by the Portuguese Consul-General in Canton should be sent to give due apology to the Canton Government on behalf of the Portugusee Gvernm nt.

2. The Portuguese soldiers and police and the officers who were reeponsible for the incident should be severely punished. The names of the persons who are to be punished and the punishment inflicted should be furnished to this Government.

3. The Families of the diad should be duly compensated by the Portuguese Government and me liesl expenses should be paid to those who were wounded. The amount of compensation and medical expences should be discussed and agreed upon by the Canton Government and the Macau Government.

4. In order to avoid further trouble the African soldiers in Macau are to leave Mecan. These rude manders have long heen creating hatred among the Chinese residents in that port. For- eigners in Macao bave the same dislike for them. It may be seen in an editorial article of one of the Hongkong papers. It ad- vocates that sooner these savage soldiers leave Macao the better.

5. Gambling in Macan is an evil to the Chinese in the place and its neighbourhood. Our Giveromnt has repeatedly requested the Macao Government to prohibit the same but without effect. To show good faith and sincerity for the friendship be tween the two coustries there should be probibition of gambling in Macao,

I hope you will be pleased to tracamit the above to the Gor- ernor of Macao for a satisfactory reply.

Signed:-FRANK W. LEE,

Kwangtung.