CO129-500-4 Canton situation- governor's despatches 15-9-1927 - 24-11-1927 — Page 96

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and not committing themselves on general political

matters.

6.

One factor in the situation is still

uncertain, which cone erns foreign interests perhaps more than any other; the attitude of the officials

in power towards the labour unions. These were not

slow to take advantage of the uncertainty of the

situation. The coup took place on the 17th November

and on the 18th November the Labour Department of

the Lunicipal Kuomintang summoned a meeting of re-

presentatives of labour unions which, after denouncing

Wong Shiu-hung, proceeded to pass the following resolutions: that the Party Purification movement (ini- tiated by Li Chai-sum on April 15th) should be opposed;

that the prisoners of April 15th should be released; that the Northern Expedition should be pressed; that

Kangtung should be made a workers' paradise; and that

Imperialism should be destroyed. Following the meeting

a large crowd, waving red flags attacked the premises of the Labour Representatives society and attempted to

eject the Reorganization Committee of that Union.

They were dispersed by the police with a loss of two

killed and four wounded. On November 19th a bomb was

thrown into the headquarters of the Strike Committee

but all attempts by these disorderly elements to create

a disturbance have so far been suppressed by the police. It is, however, stated that the prisoners of the April

coup have been released.

7. A third element is represented by the radical

politicians who followed Wone Tsing-wai to Canton and

remained there after his departure. That these men' took part in the intrigues which led up to the rising

appears