CO129-572-6 Hong Kong Seamen's Union- proposed proscription 22-1-1938 - 30-8-1938 — Page 2

CIP.

1

S.

・you. bonf

affairs

See 53551, 36

See correspon- dence in Eastern No. 144.

2

Merame

02.1.38

by decy. for

Chinese 2

Enclo. of memo and reports proscription.

The Governor reports that on the advice

Carmel

of his Executive Committee he has proscribed the

"Hong Kong Seamen's Union". The grounds for this

are that its objects are primarily political, and

that for the time being it is in the main an

organisation for the prosecution of the war against

Japan by the collection of funds, the provision of

recruits and by incitement to boycott. It is also

stated that the present Union differs only in its

title from the "Chinese Seamen's Union" which was

proscribed in 1927.

I think it may be said that in making this

decision the Colonial Government have probably been

influenced very largely by memories of the 1927

strike and boycott which brought Hong Kong trade

almost to a standstill, and that it is fear of

the recurrence of such a strike that is partially

responsible for the proscription of the Union. In

normal circumstances I think some exception might be

taken to the Colonial Government's action, particulady

in view of certain statements in the Memorandum

enclosed in the despatch, e.g., the statement that

the Union is obviously intended for the purpose of

putting pressure on employers or on the Government

backed by the threat of a General Strike. This is

surely a perfectly legitimate aim for a Trade Union

organisation, and I think it is probable that the

influence of the large and wealthy mercantile

community in Hong Kong has resulted in a somewhat

obstructive attitude towards Trade Unionism by the

Colonial Government. We have, however, already

addressed the Colonial Government on this question,

and they have been informed that the Secretary of

State