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THE HONGKONG GOVERNMENT GAZETTE, NOVEMBER 3, 1911.
DESPATCHES FROM THE SECRETARY OF STATE.
No. 327.
CIRCULAR.
DOWNING STREET,
6th October, 1911.
SIR,I have the honour to transmit copies of His Majesty's Proclamation of Neutrality on the occasion of the war between Italy and Turkey, together with a copy of a letter from the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs embodying Rules which His Majesty has directed to be observed during the continuance of the present state of war, and I have to request that you will cause both documents to be immediately published throughout the Colony under your government, and that you will not fail to conform to His Majesty's commands.
The Officer Administering the Government of
I have, etc.,
L. HARCOURT.
HONGKONG.
GEORGE, R.1.
BY THE KING.
A PROCLAMATION.
Whereas we are happily at Peace with all Sovereigns, Powers and States :
And whereas a State of War unhappily exists between His Majesty The King of Italy, and His Imperial Majesty The Sultan of Turkey, and between their respective Subjects, and others inhabiting within their Countries, Territories or Dominions:
And whereas We are on Terms of Friendship and amicable intercourse with each of these Powers, and with their several Subjects, and others inhabiting within their Countries, Territories, or Dominions:
And whereas great Numbers of Our Loyal Subjects reside and carry on Commence, and possess Property and Establishments, and enjoy various Rights and Privileges, within the Dominions of each of the aforesaid Powers, protected by the Faith of Treaties between Us and each of the aforesaid Powers:
And whereas We, being desirous of preserving to Our Subjects the Blessings of Peace, which they now happily enjoy, are firmly purposed and determined to maintain a strict and impartial Neutrality in the said State of War unhappily existing between the aforesaid Powers:
We, therefore, have thought fit, by and with the advice of Our Privy Council, to issue this Our Royal Proclamation :
And We do hereby strictly charge and command all Our loving Subjects to govern themselves accordingly, and to observe a strict neutrality in and during the aforesaid War, and to abstain from violating or contravening either the Laws and Statutes of the Realm in this behalf, or the Law of Nations in relation thereto, as they will answer to the contrary at their peril :
And whereas in and by a certain Statute made and passed in a Session of Parliament holden in the 33rd and 34th year of the reign of Her late Majesty Queen Victoria, intituled "An Act to Regulate the conduct of Her Majesty's Subjects during the existence of Hostili- ties between Foreign States with which Her Majesty is at Peace," it is, among other things, declared and enacted as follows:-
"This Act shall extend to all the Dominions of Her Majesty, including the adjacent territorial Waters.
"Illegal Enlistment.
"If any Person, without the License of Her Majesty, being a British Subject, within or without Her Majesty's Dominions, accepts or agrees to accept any Commission or Engage- ment in the Military or Naval Service of any Foreign State at War with any Foreign State at Peace with Her Majesty, and in this Act referred to as a friendly State, or whether a British Subject or not, within Her Majesty's Dominions, induces any other Person to accept or agree to accept any Commission or Engagement in the Military or Naval Service of any such Foreign State as aforesaid,-