CO129-489 - Governor Sir Stubbs & Sir Clementi - 1925 [8-12] — Page 94

0.0.

Telegram from the Governor of Hong Kong

of State for the Colonies.

Dated 8th August

36962

Feretary

12 AUG 25

91

(Receivedcolonial Office 9.56 a.m., 8th August, 1925.)

1 C C D ---

Committee of the Chamber

er of Commerce request me to

send you the following telegram and to ask that so much

of it as you think wise may be communicated to the press,

begins: - (1) Hong Kong workers and seamen have no

grievance against employers but were intimidated by or

bribed by Canton Bolshevist agitators to strike and a great

number having accordingly left the colony are being

forcibly restrained from returning (11) Owing to Government

emergency measures and the splendid exertions of the

inhabitants essential services and internal security of

Hong Kong maintained but canton-created blockade and

boycott of entire trade between Hong Kong and South China still relentlessly continues, all steamship communication between Canton and Hong Kong being cut off and resulting

loss from such blockade to Chinese and foreign business

and shipping is enormous. The consequences must prove disastrous to Lancashire and Yorkshire export trade while

in addition there is complete paralysis of very valuable raw silk trade and other exports from canton, in which

British firms are largely interested. (iii) Existing "de facto" Canton Government (a) is in rebellion against the China Government Peking and will repudiate and defy any arrangement arrived at between the Powers and the uhina Government (b) at its inception only two months ago allowed Canton mob mercilessly to massacre and mutilate

? who hundreds of their late Yunanese opponents had already laid

down