CO129-500-4 Canton situation- governor's despatches 15-9-1927 - 24-11-1927 — Page 72

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72

2015

in D

1926

avritable

at percent

vernacular paper "Kung Sheung Yat Po", a history of which

is given in paragraph 59 of Dr. Kotewall's memorandum on

the "Strike" of that year, forwarded in Sir R.E. Stubb's

confidential despatch of 30th October and now published in

Colonial Office White Paper, Eastern No. 144. This

evidence of the growing influence of the Kung Sheung Yat Po is borne out by the reports of its editorial staff who state that there has recently been a very marked improvement

in its circulation.

9.

Although General Li's position in Canton itself has been greatly strengthened, there is still considerable ground for anxiety both over the Kiung Chow and East River districts. In the latter particularly there appears to have been, if not to be, a distinct

danger of a peasants' rising coupled with the advance through Fukien towards Swatow of the "communist" armies under Generals Ip Ting and Ho Lung (see my despatch of 1st September already referred to). At one time it was rumoured that Swatow had actually fallen into the hands of these forces, but the report seems to have been premature and to have arisen from the recall (presumably to the Yangtsze front) of certain "northern" (i.e. perhaps Chêkiang) troops who had been forming the garrison of the place. It does seem, however, to be true that the forces of Generals Ip and Ho have seized a number of small places between Swatow and Waichow and it may be significant that it was in this area (Hoi Fung and Luk Fung) that the first experiment in practical and confiscatory communism was

carried