British Consulate,
59
No. 68,
Confidential.
Copy sent to longkong, Hai B
TAMSUL
September 3rd, 1937.
sir,
In my despatch No. 60 of the 1st September, I had
the honour to refer to the large mumber of Japanese
subjects, mostly Formosans, who had been evacuated from
Amoy to Formosa. A still larger problem, which has
come into prominence recently, is the evacuation of the
Chinese residents in Formosa who at the close of 1936
mmbered some 59,000.
Unlike the Chinese, who were
some weeks ago evacuated from Japan Proper, these Chinese
can scarcely be regarded as an alien element in the
population, sinee in race, language, dress and style of
living they are indistinguishable from the Formosans,
who constitute 91 per cent of the population of the
island. They mix indiscriminately with them; there
is a large amount of intermarriage, and the difference is
in many cases a matter of legal status only. Even in
political sympathies, the dividing line is indeterminate,
since there are some Chinese who, after being despoiled
by rival war-lords in their native land, have come here
and prospered, while on the other hand, despite all
official protestations of unity of sentiment, the
authorities show by their behaviour that there are many Formosans whom they suspect of being Chinese in sympathy.
The official Japanese attitude has therefore
been that Chinese citizens of good character were fres
to remain in Formosa, and follow their esllings, with
nothing to fear so long as they did not meidle in
politics; and certain police authorities have found
J. L. Dodds Esq
His Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires,
ete. ete.,
TOKYO
ste.,
pleasure
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