1941 – Maj.Gen. M.A. “Two-Gun” Cohen (extreme right) escorting Mme Sun Yat-sen (宋慶齡) in Hong Kong..jpg

Mon, 05/31/2021 - 07:47

Michael Alderton (essarem) notes: the above image shows Maj.Gen. M.A. “Two-Gun” Cohen (extreme right), accompanying Mme Sun Yat-sen (宋慶齡) to the official opening of the Chinese Cooperative Movement’s carnival and exhibition at the Naval Recreation Ground on Caroline Hill. The figure in the centre rear of the image is Chairman of the Carnival Organizing Committee, Mr T.B. Wilson of the American President Lines.

The event was reported on in the Hong Kong press: Nov 12, 1941. Carnival Begins. The carnival and exhibition in aid of the Chinese Industrial Cooperatives (C.I.C.) movement, Hongkong’s first combination of a fun fair and a big industrial show, was officially opened at the Naval Recreation Ground on Caroline Hill by Madame Sun Yat-sen, Honorary Chairman of the Hongkong Promotion Committee of the C.I.C. Mme Sun arrived shortly before 5p.m. and was met at the entrance by General Maurice Cohen, a member of the organizing committee.

Date picture taken
12 Nov 1941

Comments

Michael Alderton (essarem) notes that Madame Sun Yat-sen’s biographer, Israel Epstein, recalls: Morris Cohen gave Soong Ching-ling (宋慶齡) help in money-raising for her China Defence League, and for the Chinese Industrial Cooperatives of which she was honorary chairperson; and at her wish he helped both these organizations in Hong Kong. For the latter he brought a circus troupe from Manila, which became stranded in Hong Kong after the Japanese attack.

New Zealander Rewi Alley, who in 1938 had set up the Industrial Cooperatives Movement known as Gung Ho, writes about the movement’s exhibition that had been set up during November 1941 in the Naval Recreation Ground on Caroline Hill: An exhibition of Gung Ho products was organized in Hong Kong. To give it added attraction, a Philippine circus group was brought over from Manila. In the afternoon of November 12th 1941, the carnival and exhibition were opened officially by Soong Ching Ling (宋慶齡) as chairman of the Hong Kong Promotion Committee. She was received by General Morris Cohen, a committee member and formerly Dr Sun Yat-sen’s A.D.C.