CO129-499-4 Canton situation- governor's despatches 18-3-1927 - 22-4-1927 — Page 37

TRANSLATION.

No. 154.

Enclosure No.

в

From Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs (516)

12th April, 1927.

37

This Ministry had already addressed to you a protest, for

communication to the Governor of Hong Kong for having without

reason dissolved the Hong Kong General Labour union. According

to a report which has now been made as the result of investig-

ations, the formation of the Hong Kong General Labour Union was

authorised by the Hong Kong Government in 1921. in view of

the fact that it had been in operation for some time and

that it was necessary to reelect responsible persons to

manage its affairs application was made before March 27th

for permission to hold a meeting (on that date) to carry out

an election. A considerable delay occurred, however, and no

clear reply was received. With a view to carefully observing

the local laws the General Labour union used the system of

voting by post instead of holding a meeting and on March 27th

sent out voting papers, fixing April 1st as the date of for

collecting and examining the votes. On this date the people

present were for the most part administrative officers of

the Union and they had not collected in a crowd to hold a

meeting, but on account of examining the votes the administrat-

ive officers present were slightly more numerous than is

usually the case. Six Chinese detectives then went to the

administrative officers of the Union and made an inspection.

It is obvious from the particulars obtained as a result

of the above investigation that the formation of the Hong Kong

General Labour Union had in the first place already received

the formal authorisation of the Hong Kong Government. In proposing to hold a meeting on this occasion for the purpose of carrying out an election, a request had also been made to the Hong Kong Government for the necessary permission to be

granted. Then as the Hong Kong Government was in two minds

all