CO129-489 - Governor Sir Stubbs & Sir Clementi - 1925 [8-12] — Page 448

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due to Mr. Ho Leung, the Compradore of Messrs. Jardine, Matheson & Co., who for a week had to work hard day and night in order to get the ships off. The success which has attended the Indo-China boats has taught us the lesson that with tact, courage and some police protection, steamers can be cleared in spite of threats and opposition in a strike.

Labour Protection Bureau.

43. The crucial fact in these disturbances was the absurd ease with which all classes of Chinese allowed themselves to be frightened by direct threats or general rumours. Instances of this have been given and could be multiplied. The obvious remedy was to provide an organisation which would protect those intimidated, and also establish a feeling of confidence. And as the best defence is attack, such an organisation should strike fear in the hearts of the intimidators who are no less subject to cowardice than their victims. Our difficulty was to find the right people for the work, but fortunately on the 5th July General Leung Wing-sun, late of the Chinese Army, offered his services to me through Mr. Ma Chui-chiu, the Chairman of the Tung Wah Hospital. I was so enamoured of the offer that although it was late in the evening of a Sunday I immediately asked Mr. Ma to arrange for the General to meet Mr. Chow Shou-son, Mr. Li Yau-tsun and me in my house. We were so impressed with the General and his plan after an hour's conversation with him, that we took the responsibility of asking him to begin at once to collect the men he had in view, pending the approval of the Government. The next morning Mr. Chow and I waited upon His Excellency the Governor, together with the Hon. Colonial Secretary, the Assistant Colonial Secretary, and 'the Hon. Secre- tary for Chinese Affairs; and His Excellency readily approved of the scheme. An organisation was accordingly formed under the name of the "Labour Protection Bureau, "with offices at the Wah Kiu Boarding House which was requisitioned for the purpose.

44. From the first day the Bureau was a complete success, and it became known to the public at once, though no mention was made of it in the newspapers. The General was allowed no more than 150 men, two-thirds of whom were sworn as special police so as to give them the power to make arrests. The remaining men were on secret service. Mr. T. H. King, who was then Acting Captain Superintendent of Police, very kindly allowed orders to the General to be issued from or through me to avoid the necessity for his daily attendance at the Central Police Station, which would have been undesirable on several grounds; and I take this opportunity of stating that I have never had the least difficulty in getting my instructions carried out. They were invariably given in the form of requests, and were always acted upon in the most loyal and efficient way by the General and his assistant, Mr. Siu Yam-po. In this matter I have been very ably assisted by Mr. Wong Tak-kwong who has been acting as liaison officer "between the General and the police, and has been useful in various other ways. The General has nothing but the highest praise for Mr. Wong for his tact, energy and patience.