4
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methods) from wealthy Chinese by Mr. Morris, no
properly audited accounts were rendered. There was
no active Committee associated with Mr. Morris in
The Governor, who is automatically
the management.
made a Knight of Grace, in order that he may
exercise supreme control of the St. John affairs in
the Colony, has hitherto taken no active interest.
But the serious point in Colonel Sleeman's report
was this. On the outbreak of the present Sino-
Japanese conflict it appeared that Mr. Morris and a
lady, Mrs. Langley, who he has installed as Honorary
Secretary of the organisation in Hong Kong,
contemplated leading the greater part of the Hong
Kong St. John Ambulance personnel and equipment into
China for service with the Chinese. As soon as he
heard this, Colonel Sleeman telegraphed a veto, since
it is outside the sphere of the St. John Ambulance
organisation to carry on its operations outside the
British Empire (that is a function of the Red Cross).
Further, Colonel Sleeman is satisfied that
it has all along been the purpose of Mr. Morris and
his wealthy Chinese contributors to build up in
Hong Kong a strong ambulance unit precisely against
the day of conflict in China, and for the purpose of
taking service in China. Not only would it be
contrary to the St. John Ambulance policy for the
Hong Kong Brigade to leave Hong Kong for service in
China, but it would be most embarrassing for Hong
akar
Kong (a city of over a million people) to be left
denuded of an ambulance organisation in any local
emergency.
Colonel Sleeman told us that quite apart
from the needs of the civil population, the military
authorities in the Colony were relying on some
hundreds
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