CO129-498-3 Canton boycott- prospects of restoring normal conditions 20-12-1925 - 24-12-1925 — Page 14

should be in favour of a payment, it might be impossible

Labour had done its utmost to

to raise the money.

deprive the merchants of the power to pay, and it was unlikely that alarge sum in ready cash could be made available. Admittedly, with the revival of trade, prosperity would return, and payment could be made later. but it must be clearly understood that, if the

merchants should decide to come to some such arrange- ment, the Hongkong Government stood entirely aloof and

assumed no responsibility whatever.

labour and the merchants to arrange such guarantees as

they could agree upon. The Government was not going to allow a repetition of the misunderstanding caused at the last strike by the Ho Tung incident (This had been discussed separately).

It would be for

Mr. Sung suggested that the Community should be taxed to provide the money, or it should

be advanced out of the trade loan. I said that the

former alternative was out of the question, and with

regard to the latter the Government did not wish to

countenance any payment. If, however, the question

of a final settlement resolved itself into one of the

provision of strike pay, there would be no longer

any necessity for Government representatives, except

that the Government of Hongkong must ask the Canton

Government to use its good offices in persuading the

strikers to be reasonable and in inducing the Canton

merchants to take their share. The position would

be explained to the merchants in Hongkong, and they,

if they so desired, would select their own representatives

to meet the strikers for the purpose of arriving at a

satisfactory bargain, if possible.

Mr. Sung entirely concurred, being

evidently relieved at the suggestion that officials

from