CO129-499-4 Canton situation- governor's despatches 18-3-1927 - 22-4-1927 — Page 140

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Enclo No. 1.

by the Secretary for Chinese Affairs that proceedings

must be limited to one and a half hours, that no

placards or speeches would be permitted which he

had not censored and approved and I gave instruc- tions that a sufficient body of Police should be

present at the ceremony to disperse the crowd with

a minimum of bodily injury, should these directions

be disobeyed. Arrangements were also made for a

military route march past the Lee Gardens at about the time when the meeting was due to end. The

* Emergency Regulations forming Enclosure No.10 had

in the meantime been amended to provide for the

prohibition and dispersal in mediis rebus of any objectionable meeting and an order under clause 5

of the new regulations, copy of which is enclosed,

was held in readiness at Government House for use

in the event of the proceedings taking an undesir- able tone. I am, however, glad to say that, thanks to the firmness and tact of the police under Mr. T. H. King (Director of Criminal Intelligence) assisted by Mr. R.A.C. North, (Chief Assistant to the Secre- tary for Chinese Affairs), the meeting held on the 12th March dispersed without any untoward incident. I am also glad to say that, although parties of schoolboys and schoolgirls attended the Lee Gardens, the schools of the Colony as a whole, with a few notable exceptions into which further enquiry is being made, took no part in these celebrations.

It is, of course, the aim of this Government to keep school children out of politics. I may add that the Lee Gardens celebrations were organized chiefly by the Seamen's Union assisted by some

young

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