CO129-500-3 Canton situation- governor's despatches 29-7-1927 - 1-9-1927 — Page 130

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closed down the General Labour Union in Hong Kong, and

again on the 28th May they proscribed the Seamen's

Branch Union in Hong Kong. In view of the two incidents

the Association has sent an urgent letter to the Special

Council and the Mass Movement Committee requesting them

to promote an early Demonstration Conference to oppose

the sending of troops by Japan to North China and to

support the Hong Kong General Labour Union and the

Seamen's Union in Hong Kong. The letter reads as follows:-

It appeared in the Press in the past few days

that the Japanese Government, being much excited over

the retreat of the defeated Shangtung troops back to

Tsainen, has resolved to send troops to Shangtung and

North China and has issued the mobilization order.

Ostensibly she claims that this is intended to afford proper protection to her nationals, but in reality she

intends to support the Northern Militarists and to check

the advance of our revolutionary armies. She has

also availed herself of the opportunity to carry out

her policy of exploitation by means of an alliance

with the Northern Militarists. At present our revolu-

tionary armies are advancing step by step to Tsi-nan

and have gained repeated victories. we shall soon be

able to take Peking, but at this critical time, the

Japanese Imperialists have actually desired to ruin

our Northern Expedition. No one who has any feeling

can help being so angry that his hair will stand on end.

At the same time the British Imperialists, after the

massacre at Namshan, (Bias Bay) forcibly closed down the

Hong Kong General Labour Union, and on the 28th May

dissolved our Chinese Seamen's Branch Union in Hong Kong.

They have also opporessed our people in many other ways, all