Hongkong, Dec. 5.
A sort of state of emergency has been in force in Hongkong this week, and people in the streets and in tram cars have been subject to search by police officers and others, 'One reason was that many radical are going back to Canton vit cong, and it is feared they may in plots here. Another! cause is the approach of the China New Year, when many bad charac-{ters would' come to this Colony with a view to obtaining money robbery. On account of the bad business and general depression in Hongkong and different parts of Kuangtung, many desperadoes already have arrived here to make] their fortunes, The police authorities deem such precautions necessary in view of the fact that many Communists recently have returned to Ho kong from Canton. They were arrested there by order of General Li Tsni-hsin last Good Friday, exile in Nanking! set free all those who were-are ax Communists. Some of them were taken to gaol purely for personal revenge or hatred, but some really are Communists, "As it is rather difficult to distinguish who are or are not Communists, they all were released. Many formerly were workers in Hongkong, and they are coming back in an endless stream.
Among these returned workers fare strikers who took part in the boycott of Hongkong in 1925-1926. They now have been paid off by the Canton Government, and free board and lodging no longer is supplied. These strikers, hitherto living an idle life in Canton, now are compelled to look for work in Hong-Kong, but many concerns, who know of their past agitation are not {incline to employ them. Ag a last resort, they may be driven to become "bandits and robbers, and their presence in this port the local police serious misgivings 'These strikers harbour a grudge against the Canton Government for dissolving their dining halls and free lodging, and recently they were held responsible for the many fires in Canton, city, over which two millions dollare' were lost. The Canton police made a thorough search for these-evil-doers, some of whom are believed to have escaped to this Colony.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.