CO129-499-3 Canton situation- governor's despatches 12-2-1927 - 10-3-1927 — Page 58

58

have all the sand-bags and wire entanglements removed, and

the British marines withdrawn, so as to avoid misun-

derstanding among the people and their consequent opposition. The British Consul stated that he could

not reply without first consultating the captain

of the British gun-boat. He said also that a strike

would soon be set up in the Concession and that the

destruction in the Concession by strikers a year ago

was to be taken as a warning, and therefore precaution

must be taken. Not long after this, the workmen of

Butterfield & Swire, Jardine, Matheson & Co., and

the Yat Ching Co. went on strike demanding an increase

of wages.

I am told that marines in the Hankow Con-

cession have been all withdrawn.

On the one hand

I sent representatives of the Political Department and the Labour Union to be present at the negotiations between the representatives of the workmen and those of Butterfield & Swire, Jardine, Matheson & Co., and Yat Ching Co. and help them to settle the dispute.

On the other hand I wrote to the British Consul advising

him to withdraw immediately the British marines in the same way as in Hankow so as to avoid any trouble. A reply from the British Consul was afterwards received which stated that at Hankow there were regular troops,

police and volunteers, who could put up a better defence than the small number of police in Kiukiang,

and therefore the assistance of the marines must be retained, and that as there were large numbers of labour pickets at Kiukiang stopping provisions being sent into the Concession and circulating provocative anti-British watch-words, it would not be advisable

for