CO129-536-6 Anti-Japanese Riots 28-9-1931 - 25-2-1932 — Page 27

Enclosure No.1.

26

Report on Anti-Japanese Disturbances

in Hong Kong September 23rd. to 28th. 1931.

1.

There were no signs of unrest or anti-Japanese

manifestations in any quarter of Hong Kong until the evening

of Wednesday September 23rd. This day had been decreed by the

Chinese Government at Nanking as a Day of Humiliation and

line

following the course of action adopted in Canton on such

occasions a number of local Chinese firms and shops flew flags

at half mast during the day. The number of such flags was

not very large and the general public did not appear to take

the occasion very seriously. However at about seven o'clock

that evening trouble broke out in Wanchai, the District of

Victoria in which the bulk of the Japanese shops are situated.

A large crowd gathered as usual on the vacant portion of the

Fraya East Reclamation situated between O'Brien and Luard

Roads and at 7.45 p.m. they made a simultaneous attack on

eight Japanese owned shops in Johnston Road close by. The

shops were stoned and the shop windows smashed. Police

promptly turned out from the Eastern Division Station which

was not far distant, the Emergency Unit was also called out

from Central and the crowd was dispersed without trouble.

One or two arrests were made. There were no disturbances

elsewhere in the Colony and by 10 p.m. all was quiet.

On Thursday the 24th. September there were no

signs of further trouble during the day but in the evening

a large crowd again collected in the Eastern District on the

vacant ground between O'Brien and Luard Roads. In accordance

with instructions issued Police picquets cleared this area

and there was some stone throwing which resulted in the

arrest or ten persons for disorderly conduct. There were

no attacks on Japanese shops and the crowd seemed to direct their energies against the Police rather than against the

2.