CO129-526-4 Deportation of Chinese political refugees from Hong Kong 9-12-1929 - 11-6-1930 — Page 17

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the very strong and sometimes dangerous, resentment

at Canton which the attitude of the Hongkong Govern-

ment gives rise to can be found in the present situa-

tion. During the past months the outlawed Kwangsi

Generals Li Teung-jen, Wong Shao-hung, Hat Ching-

tang and Pei Chung-hai have all resided for long

periods in Hongkong, with many lesser satellites.

The Canton Government on the instructions of the

Central Government, applied for their extradition

or expulsion. Their requests were made not only

by despatch and through me but personally and

repeatedly at Hongkong by the Chairman of the Pro-

vincial Government, the Commissioners for Foreign

Affairs and Police, the Mayor and by Special Dele-

gates. The Chinese authorities asserted, and the

foreign and Chinese public believed them, that these

outlaws were motively plotting and even conducting

rebellions in Kwangtung and Kwangsi from Hongkong.

The Hongkong authorities insisted on legal proof

of plotting, which was not forthcoming. Today all

these rebel leaders are actually in the field in-

vesting Canton on the North and North-West. The

Kwangtung Government estimates direct expenditure on

military, naval and air forces during the present

campaign as already over $30,000,000. Besides this,

the two Kwang provinces have suffered extremely

heavy losses through brigandage and upset to com-

merce, not to mention the loss of several thousand

lives. Part of this loss is ascribed in certain

cârcles to the unneighbourly conduct of the Hongkong

Government in harbouring the leaders of the rebellion.

This is hardly to be wondered.at.

7. The resulting friction has imposed a great

strain