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3.5
delegation was at least equally interested in
obtaining the views of this Government as to the
possibility of reconstituting in Hong Kong an
expurgated, non-communist and non-political Sea-
men's Union. The power of the Seamen's Union in
Canton and South China generally seems far from
broken. It must be remembered that the Nation-
alist party has climbed to power on the back of
Labour and that the first blow at what is termed
"Foreign Imperialism" was the Seamen's Strike of 1922. The precipitancy of Moscow in forcing on
her plans for mob-rule has gathered a large body
of moderate public opinion to the side of the Nanking clique of the Kuomintang, but the Kuomin- tang programme remains essentially democratic and its officials have to walk with the greatest cir- cumspection in dealing with Labour grievances. A few days ago the glass-workers union in Canton beset the Ministry of Labour with such persistence
that the Police had to use force with the result
that one member was killed and several injured.
As a result the Union held a sort of "wake" for
the victim before the office-building of the Ministry and is reported to have abandoned the ceremonies only on promise of full satisfaction.
3. On the 21st June the Seamen's Union re-
started the picketing of the British river steamers in retaliation for the non re-engagement on termin- ation of their Articles of certain unsatisfactory members of the crews, who had been forced on the Companies during the Union's period of dominance.
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