Enclosure No. 9.
COPY.
Record of an interview between His Excellency the
Governor and Mr. T.V. Sung (Sung Tsz-man) Finance Commissioner to the Canton National Government, at Government House on Saturday 19th December,1925.
There were also present:-
The Colonial Secretary (Mr. A.G.M.Fletcher, The Attorney General ( Mr. J.H.Kemp, K.C.). The Secretary for Chinese Affairs ( Mr. E.R,
Hallifax, C.M.G.,C.B.E.).
Mr. D.W.Tratman.
After mutual expressions of an earnest d sire for a settlement between Canton and Hongkong, Mr. Sung asked His Excellency what proposals he had to make, to which the latter replied that inasmuch as the so called "Strike" had its origin entirely outside the Colony, he was at a loss for any suggestions for its cessation. After some further fencing Mr. Sung put forward his views. He maintained the attitude that the quarrel lay between Chinese Labour ("The Strikers") and the Hongkong Government (not Hongkong as a community) and he made it clear that the Canton Government could not and would not use force to compel The Strikers" to abandon their policy of boycott and non co-operation. On the same grounds he held to the view, already expressed by the Canton Government, that the Canton Officials could only act as "mediators" in the proposed conference, while the Hongkong Officials should be plenipotentiary negotiators. Mr. Sung added the adjective "responsible" before "mediators" but it was not clear that this made
any material change in the general position as
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