CO129-499-3 Canton situation- governor's despatches 12-2-1927 - 10-3-1927 — Page 59

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for him to withdraw the prevations as requested. Later the negotiations between Jardine, Matheson & Co. and

Butterfield & Swire, and the representatives of their

workmen broke down, and a quarrel almost arose between

them. At the same time news was received that the

British Concession in Henkow would be resumed. The

British Consul then asked that a deputy be sent to

confer with him. Secretary Fan Yung was therefore

dispatched and a demand was made on him that all British

marines should be withdrawn as was done in Hankow and

that troops should be sent by us to maintain order in

the Concession. In reply the Consul stated that the

Concession was still peaceful and that he would not

require any Chinese troops until circumstances necessitated

them. Thus there was no result to the negotiations.

At 4 p.m. on the 6th two reports of guns were heard

on the River and a message was received from our gendarmes

that a picket named Ng Chik Shan had been wounded and

that the two rounds were fired by a British Gunboat.

On receiving this information troops were dispatched

to the River to take precautions, and our Secretary Fan Yung was again sent to make negotiations. I also went personally to the Concession to make inquiries as to the

real cause of the incident and then to the hospital to see

the wounded workman who stated that the British marines

took a hand in the fight and assaulted him in the back

with butts of their rifles.

I found that this was the reason why the

British gunboat had opened fire. A foreigner employed a

Chinese workman to have his belongings removed from the

Concession to a steamer. The coolie was stopped by the

picket Ng Chik Shan and a conflict ensured. The latter

was