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In due course a new petition was handed to the Acting
Secretary for Chinese Affairs on August 12th 1937 asking for
permission to inaugurate the new Union. The petition was handed
in by Mr. M.K. Lo acting on behalf of the petitioners.
The petition was filed and there is no record of
other action being taken.
On August 15th the inauguration ceremony was held at
42 Connaught Road Central.
Anti-Japanese Activities.
Three of the speakers made anti-Japanese speeches.
•
One was "anti-Imperialist" as well. An anti-Japanese manifesto
was issued also. At this meeting the representatives of the Yu
Han Lok She announced the formation of a recruiting agency and called
for recruits. The title of the agency was "The Hong Kong Seamen
and Foreign Employees Service Corps for war reas" One hundred and t
ten persons were enrolled of whom 15 are known to have joined the 157h
regiment at swatow. The promotors were warned by Mr. Williams,
Acting Secretary for Chinese Affairs, on September 13th and the
agency appears to have closed down shortly afterwards.
General Labour Union.
On December 22nd, 1937, a meeting was held at the seamen's
Union premises at which representatives of a number of Unions were
present. An officer of the Seamen's Union took the Chair. The
object of the meeting was to prepare for the establishment of a
general Labour Union.
Those present must have been aware of the attitude of
the Hong Kong Government to this proposal since, on the 13th of September, a deputation, which included the Chairman of at
least one Union represented at this meeting, had approached the Secretary for Chinese Affairs (Mr. Williams) for permission to
open a "Hong Kong Workers General Union". The Secretary for Chinese Affairs had then told them "we do not approve of the
Society. It would serve no useful purpose. A similar society
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