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THE CHINA ASSOCIATION.
MEETING IN LONDON.
for 5-
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BY ON WHO WAS PRESENT, Unfortunately this meeting was he'd on the afternɔn of Germ va msil day and during the height of the holid sy se 13ɔ 1, elsa the attendance, which the Chairmai apɔke of us enthusiastically large and representative would probably have bean largarà il dübtleifmor repressatative of the view held by the rank and file of members as distinguishøl fron the offers or committas, Our oo umitee is a large an distinguishe one, sal no bly of ma mɔ representative theoretically of Bitish inˆ8:sts in the Far Fast could possibly bɔ brought tɔgether. But it sometimes hipp3 14 with 0510; bolie; of mu that the o13:3 sal thì rank dɔ nɔt work qtite in harm ay arl it w sald alm955 899 n 2+ if that is thị out with the Cịu Avoiɩtion When their car proportion of the of are oi thɔ rotirel list all far remɔvel frontie field of astion, they hire probably to som extsat lost to ish and are apt tɔ mistakɔ the retiram 114, They aa haulpurtees to cada ne rotatio is provis sapie and btain infmio 1, bit ale t197 are guided by those on the spot who kar bit hat the rajnirants are, that is likely to be not oily neglect anl disistroa dilays, bat even if not apathy, on their or part, a danger of being overcom by the apithy of the higher powers an 1 th plazability of th enemy. The workers in the field are crying out for the needful to enable them to push forward, bat it is not forthcoming, and the inevitable cons quenos is that t y ha e to ra'ire step by step and the enemy is n it slow in occu pying and entrenching the ground this 1st and then claiming it as theirs by right of occu- pation. Had the London Committee of the Chipa Association been a boly of power and had exercised it with the necessary promptitu le and energy, Rusia would probably never have boon in occupation of Port Arthur and the opportunities which that occupation gavs her for further aggression would not have existed. Eo with many of the infringements of our treaty rights by China. The Foreign Office will itself admit that it is governed by red tape; it no doubt replied to representations and rɔqı 8's Ly the China Association that the mitters would be given dne consideration, but that they must proceed by diplomatic mthols. We, engaged in business in China and who have much past and ever present experience of the ways that are dark," consider that it was and is the duty of the London Committee to take every possible means to engine the Foreign Office that the diplomatic methods which are suitable when negotiating with America, France or Germany are worse than useless when dealing with China. But a mers letter from the Chairman or Honorary Secretary of the Association will never conviuc the
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Foreign Offics of that fact. As Sir Elward Ackroyd, himself a Government official of long and varied experience, said: "the Foreign Office is not the Government, and the "Government is not the pole. What is "wanted is a strong expression of public opinion to move the Goreram nt, and to this "end it is necessary to educate the people to see how necessary it is for us to be up and "doing. No great reform ever emanated from the Government, and so the end in view on "orly be achieved by the voice of the people "sot ng on the Government." If a y good is to be done it is necessary to convine the Foreign Office that the China Assosiation lis the voice of the people supporting it. The officials in Downing Street are not the Govern ment, but neither they nor the Government care a straw for the representation, probably very little for the interests, of a few "irata traders” in Far Cathay. They have to oire, however, for the voice of the operatives in Lancashire and Yorkshire; these men have votes. That Mr. Gundry, who practically founded and conducted the Association until recently, and to whom it and all China traders and residents owe much, doubtless conscien- tiously thought that he could effect more by his policy of "lying low," and as bis able speech at the meeting showed, is still of that opinion; but without going so far as to regret
THE HONGKONG WEEKLY PRESS AND
the non-passing of what the Chirman weepingly sid would hive amounted to a vote of censure, we may be permitted to question whether tha' pol oy has been anything ĺke as successful as a bold r on might have 1010. As Sir Richard Raoi said: "We nurse oursives in our emosit of having “relations a id infi uc with the Forsig i Offe,
but we gat ao farther."
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(September 1963.
was for publication in China. It seem to us, and we feel sure that it will strike others in the sime light. that that refusal was in keeping with the treatment which the Shang'i branch has received since it a keʻl more than a year and a half sinc›, and afte”... | wars earnestly repeated that the resolution it ́ passed uran musly in January, 191⁄44, should be sɩbmittal tɔ th› m ·mbɔrs in London. At the Some of the spaskers thought it wall to meting of committee held oạ 12th July, repudiat any idea of personal ratestions. That preliminary to the m e'ing of members on 31st was quite upsc ssary; avryon) is an are Idem. Sic Coil Smith gave a raison why no t› gri id aul aɔ ouɔ will blɩn、 them for doing mention was made in the annual report of the 83. We are allos vincal that if the president, differeno between the Shinghai Branch and chairman or any of the comuite, all of th› gənəral cɔmmitteɔ; ba' uɔ tɔ this day, so whom we know to be hoaonribla min. wara far as we are aware, uɔ explanation has/bson not quite satis d that their personal intarasti offered as to why the Shanghai resolution wis did not in any way clash with this of tuot, as requested, submitted to a mesting of Association they would have raigaзl at onc the members in' London. At that committes Bat, when wcom to what the Chirmia stid mesting Sir Charles Dudgeon said: "To our world bar amɔuated tɔ a vote of cansar, it is astonishment (I can use no other term) tha a diffrent maltır. When the opposition in reply from London to oar scoal mɔeting wis parliament proposɔ a vote of consur on the even ourter than bɔfora, and not t's slightest Government they do not (in spite of the referenc wis male to our request that the blastguarding to which the prsat Premier rederal body of members shoall'brovn¶ûl'ed ' has lately pen subjetal) call in qustion the | Considering that Shanghai forms about a third bona files of the Government. A vata of of the Association and that its views are sup- casure on the Govern nent simply means that por el by the members in Hongking and el. it is not is hirmay with the view of the where in China, we ask the general cɔumittei pople on that particular qustion, and the if that is brotherly traitant. If the rais va passing of the whole of Sir Charles D.lgson's d'etre of the China Association is to give an motion w 'd simly have mзant that the annual dinner, wou'd it not by batter for the committee had not by carrying oat tha powers that by in Londọa to treat the'r Shang- wishes of the mmbs, the very great majority hai confrères in saya ay that shvild any of of the mom'fers, when thos3 resident in Shing them be in London in November they can with- bai an! e sewer in Chins al Jap are dat loss of face invite them (on payment) to allo vel for. B it even the bigbear of a vite of pitk of tha' dinner? The Shanghai Bench consure coal bave beз1 avoiled hal the has become moribund. the Hongkong one will conciliatory suggestion mids by Mr. Thomis doubtless go the same way; lens hope that Brown to divide the motion into two ben put a new and powerful association will arise from to the meting. It is an larstool that Bir thashe Charles con vidare i himsɔlf bɔand by the decision of the Shanghai bra ›ch to put the motion a3 a whole ant so could not a copt the proposal. The Chairman, in what h› will por loa being called his defence of the committe, mide the point that it welcomed to i's aid al men of weight newly arrived from the Far East, but we may not be out of place in asking if any man whose views were known to bin opposition to thos of the general bly of the committo would ba very heartily welcom 1. Ny members are, we believe, proposed by the existing committ33; and as the old members naturally prefer to be joined by thos holding the same ideas as them selves as to what shall be the conduct of the Assocation, is therɔ nɔt a danger of its becom ing fossilised? We have occasionally soon 8 m3- thing of the kind in the case of public com. pan es and it has even been known to land to Fabellion on the part of shareholders Would it not be batter that. ins'ead of all new mombers of commi tea be'ng proposed by the existing ones, a certain proportion should be delegate's branches, elected in these ports. leaving. of from the Shanghai, Hongkong and Yokohama
course, the committe to decline, without crus stated, to receive them; although such blick balling would probably never by exercised. When it is rememberel that the great bulk, the more active, and probably the botter in- formed, members of the Associatio1 ara in China, this suggestion may not be considered unreasonable, and we know commends i's if to sme, at last, of the members now resideat in England.
Considering that the me'ing wis called at the instigation of the Shangbai branch and that the proce dinge thereat must be of special inter st there, and also that a large prop ›r- tion of the members in Britain are scattered over the country, it seems mach to b› rigrette l that the committee did not, of its own motivo, provide for the presence of a verbatim reporter a d that some one present dil not think to propose that the press be admittel. The Hon. Secretary my be able to compile a report, as com non courtesy to Shanghai surely demands, but when applied to by a repres utitive of the Hongko ig Daily Press for permission to take a verbatim report, he declined, an i on th Chair man being appea'ed to, he also declined. It may hare ben desired, and perhaps not unreason- ably-the proceeding, although conduct i with the utmost good feeling, bing not alto. gether far removed from the washing of dirty linen to prevent any report appearing in the ho pme apers, bit the permission asked
CORRESPONDENCF.
AV ALLEGATION.
[TO THE EDITOR OF THE "DAILY PRESS."]
Hongkong. Sth September. SIR-Ar not these Indian Con 'ables allowed to much license in the pers78009 ́ of their duty?
Today there was appare itly, a little trouble in the Naval Yard and a colie was arra tot
The Indian Constable, who had the coo'is in cust (dy, was walking on his left side with the cooli's queu in his right han 1. when, without any caus whats ever, the constable deliberately took the cooli's quen in his left haud and struct him with his right.
I unfortunately, was too busy in my office to leave it, otherwis, I should have gone to the police station and laid a complaint against the constabl. Yours t uly,
H
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CITIZEN.
. Cit zon auswers hi ovn question: knows that Indian enstables are not allowed" to › mush licanos, or hɔ would not
have thought of laying a comɔ'aint. · If he is sara of his groun ls, he should have written direct to the Policy authorities, and saved tins. It would have been timen ugh to appel to the Prass when (or rather if) the authorities had igaored his compliat. Wales: that bumsni-- tarihs are sometimes fondar of tu's than of work. -ED.
THE CHINA ASSOCIATION,
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TO THE EDITOR OF THE DAILY PRESS.
7
818-I real the special article in the Daily Presa to-day (the 5th) on the China
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Association with much intr ist. The writer conclu led by remarking that the Shanghai branch has bec mm riband and that the Hong- kong branch wil doubtless go the sim way. I would like to inquire whether in fast the Hongkong bra ich has not a'rзady gone the sam› Way? How my meetings of the members have been held during the last three years, say ? There is not an anɛaı) dinner even to remind us that there is a Hongkong branch of the Association.
When we read the speeches made by respon. sible Ministers in Parliament and ob-erre how blissfully ignorant they appear to be of the
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