CO129-497 - Public Offices - 1926 — Page 504

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I have the honour to observe that this account by independent eye-witnesses entirely confirms the account given in. His Majesty's Consul-General's report, and affords direct corroborative evidence that the firing was commenced, not by those on Shameen, but by armed forces taking part in the procession.

I have the honour to request that Your Excellency's Ministry will be good enough to cause this Note and its enclosure, together with my Note under reference, to be published in the Chinese Press.

I avail myself of this opportunity to renew to Your Excellency the assurance of my highest consideration.

(Signed) MICHAEL PALAIRET.

APPENDIX G.

Report on the Chinese Demonstration against Shameen

on the 23rd June, 1925.

By the present I have the honour to report on what took place here on the afternoon of Tuesday, the 23rd inst., when the Chinese held a procession demonstrating against the foreigners for the abolition of the existing treaties and extra-territorial rights.

To start with, it is as well to mention the events leading up to the unfortunate affair on Tuesday, the 23rd.

On the 6th June, a battle started between the Canton Government troops and the Yunnanese, who had occupied Canton city in an endeavour to overthrow the existing Red Government headed by Civil Governor Hu Han Min. The

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Yunnanese were defeated and driven out on the 12th June, and the Canton Government proclaimed that peace and order would now be restored for the benefit of the people. However, towards the end of the following week it was clear that student agitators were busy fomenting a strike against the foreigners under the pretext of sympathizing with those killed in the Shanghai affair of 30th May, and on Saturday, the 20th, the usual British river steamer from Hongkong failed to put in an appearance, the crew having gone out on strike in Hongkong. At the same time rumours got about that all Chinese servants employed by foreigners on Shameen would cease work the following day, and on Sunday morning, the 21st, at 9 a.m., all servants left their employ. On Monday, all crews employed on foreign-owned motor-boats and launches walked out, so that by this time the Island was entirely deserted of Chinese and the foreigners practically cut off from communication with the outside world. On Monday, it was further known that the Chinese students and others intended holding a procession the following day as a demonstration against the foreigners, and it leaked out that at a meeting held at the Kwangtung University the agitators were determined to enter Shameen and/or would create an incident for propaganda purposes. H.B.M. Consul-General, on hearing this, immediately warned the Secretary for Foreign Affairs that any attempt made on Shameen would be met by armed forces.

Preparations to meet any emergency were already made during the previous week's fighting by the Municipal Council of the British Concession of Shameen by calling up Volunteers for special police duty, and the actual defence of the Island was in the hands of British and French naval forces, who had erected sandbagged machine-gun posts at various points along the creek facing the city.

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