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CARL SMITH
then asked to allot a space for us, but this was peremptorily refused. We were obliged to stand outside the ring.
"As we did not know nor could we hear what passed in the ring, we asked that any resolution put to the meeting should be explained in Chinese, so that those of us who did not know English might understand its meaning. Mr. Ng Choy, who was there, was good enough to convey our wishes to the Chairman, but when we heard that our reasonable request was refused, we all left and took no part whatever in the proceedings of the meeting.
"It has been said that printed slips containing a translation of the resolution in Chinese were circulated. I and many of my friends never received one copy. I have made some enquiry and have found one; it contained only some of the resolutions. The translation is so bad that I could scarcely make out its meaning.
"Of our right to take part in that meeting, there cannot be the least doubt. In fact we were invited by the promoters to take part and attend. Anticipating our presence, and believing that a great majority could not know English enough to understand its proceedings, the promoters had properly provided an interpreter for the occasion. And yet when we requested that the substance of a resolution should be rendered into Chinese to the Chinese audience, it was absolutely refused and thus our presence was entirely ignored. No great affront could have been offered to us.
"It has been attempted to make the public believe that we (Chinese) who went to the meeting had bound ourselves to oppose the resolutions proposed and at the signal of one or two gentlemen to outvote the Europeans. This is a gross insult to our intelligence. Is it probable that we should submit ourselves to be led by the nose by any one man?
"I think we are equal in intelligence and common sense to those foreign gentlemen at the meeting. It may with more truth be said that they had pledged themselves beforehand to support the resolution than to insinuate that we were bound to oppose them. It may be an interesting question that of the many foreigners who so readily supported the resolution, how many did understand their
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CARL SMITH
then asked to allot a space for us, but this was peremptorily re- fused. We were obliged to stand outside the ring.
"As we did not know nor could we hear what passed in the ring, we asked that any resolution put to the meeting should be ex- plained in Chinese, so that those of us who did not know English might understand its meaning. Mr. Ng Choy, who was there, was good enough to convey our wishes to the Chairman, but when we heard that our reasonable request was refused, we all left and took no part whatever in the proceedings of the meeting.
"It has been said that printed slips containing a translation of the resolution in Chinese were circulated. I and many of my friends never received one copy. I have made (some) enquiry and have found one; it contained only some of the resolutions. The translation is so bad that I could scarcely make out its meaning.
"Of our right to take part in that meeting, there cannot be the least doubt. In fact we were invited by the promoters to take part and attend. Anticipating our presence, and believing that a great majority could not know English enough to understand its pro- ceedings, the promoters had properly provided an interpreter for the occasion. And yet when we requested that the substance of a resolution should be rendered into Chinese to the Chinese audi- ence, it was absolutely refused and thus our presence was entirely ignored. No great affront could have been offered to us.
"It has been attempted to make the public believe that we (Chi- nese) who went to the meeting had bound ourselves to oppose the resolutions proposed and at the signal of one or two gentlemen to outvote the Europeans. This is a gross insult to our intelligence. Is it probable that we should submit ourselves to be led by the nose by any one man?
"I think we are equal in intelligence and common sense to those foreign gentlemen at the meeting. It may with more truth be said that they had pledged themselves beforehand to support the reso- lution than to insinuate that we were bound to oppose them. It may be an interesting question that of the many foreigners who so readily supported the resolution, how many did understand their
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