OCR Text |
Show Chinese Societies Chinese tongs are organizations, with an element of secrecy, of groups of Chinese for mutual protection and assistance. as-sistance. Basically, they are of a commercial com-mercial character, the members being engaged In business, and they are thns rival trade associations. This rivalry occasionally breaks out Into open warfare war-fare when aggressions by one tong against another, consisting of unfair commercial practices, boycotts, etc., gives the rival tong cause for offense. The tongs in the United States are branches of wider organizations, having hav-ing their main headquarters In Shanghai Shang-hai and Peking, China, and branches exist in other nations besides the United States. |