ENG-1952 — Page 18

REVIEW OF THE YEAR

of the incidents were of a nature to give rise to serious international consequences, and there have recently been indications of a desire for better relations on the frontier.

A difficult situation, however, developed in relations between Hong Kong and Canton in the early part of the year, as a result of misrepresentations in the Canton press of action taken by the Hong Kong authorities following a serious fire which occurred in the squatter area at Tung Tau on 21st November, 1951, in which some ten thousand persons were rendered homeless. Relief measures were at once put in hand and a generous sum was raised by public subscription in Hong Kong for the victims of the fire. Considerable relief funds were also received from various organiza- tions in Canton. The magnitude of the disaster had however been caused by the extreme congestion of the squatters' buildings, and it was necessary to prohibit rebuilding on the site while a proper layout was planned in order to avoid further serious fire risks in future. Those squatters who were displaced, and who incidently had no legal right to the land they had occupied, were offered free sites elsewhere, but the facts of the situation were persistently distorted in the mainland press and it was finally announced in February that a "comfort mission" would be sent from Canton to Hong Kong to visit the scene of the fire and to take statements from the former residents regarding their alleged sufferings. It was made clear that the Hong Kong Government were not prepared in the circumstances to admit such a mission into the Colony, although all facilities would continue to be given for distributing any frontier relief funds which might be sent from Canton. It was, never- theless, announced in Canton that the mission would

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