CO129-498-5 Canton boycott- report on visit to Canton of representatives of the Hong Kong Chinese merchants... 6-1-1926 - 6-1-1926 — Page 50

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party because the striko

affected Chinoso and tho strikers

wore Chinoso. But it was not and could not become a

principal. At the invitation of the Hongkong Government it would act as mediators but the Hongkong Government did

nɔt wish to mako that request but merely expressed the

:

vic that the Canton Govornment should so act. I said.

since the settlement of the strike would bonofit Chinoso

most, just as the continuance of the strike would damago the Chinose most, and since our dolcgation was

Chinese dologation, wo would ask him as tho Cinton Government to act as mediators in our proposcd discussions.

Mr. Wu laughed and said that since the strike was not aimed

at the Chinese and since the Canton Government could not

therefore be a party as against the Canton strikors thoro could be no question of a modictor for the Hongkong

Chinese.

The whole trend of his conversation scomod to be th

as the strikers expected and rightly expected that the Hongkong Government should sond up official dologatos re-

prosonting the whole community, or at all events that

thoro would be dologatos on behalf of the European Community, they could not vory well be satisfied with n moro Chinoso delegation because there never as any quarrol betoon Chinese and Chinoso. I might also add

that in answer to Mr. Li Yau Chuon's point as to tho suffering of the morchants in both places, Mr. du strongly

refuted the suggestion that Canton trade had sufforod. Hic

referred to the direct shipment which Canton now onjoys,

etc. etc. He thought that the question of scttlomont was

a matter of indifferonco to the Canton merchants as the

trido and business of the place is a whole had increased

nd not diminished as a rosult of the striko, but ho

addod that the Canton Govornmont certainly desired a settlement both from the point of view of the lionskong