153
I have the honour to observe that I gave orders, as the records will show, at the time the piracy occurred, to the land and sea forces to make an earnest effort to pursue and arrest the pirates. On receipt of your letter abovementioned I again instructed the Kuangtung Commissioner for Foreign Affairs to make enquiries and submit his sug- gestions and have now received his reply as follows:
"After the piracy of the S.S. "Sui An" I myself went to Hong Kong and had an interview with H. E. The Governor. In continuation he urged coopera- tion in discovering and arresting the criminals and I agreed to request the Kuang- tung Government to give orders for a serious effort to be made to trace and arrest the men and also replied that the Province of Kuangtung was even more anxious over this case than were the Hong Kong officials.
As regards the piracy of the S.S. "Namoa" that took place in 1890 and I am informed that the then Provincial Commander-in-Chief, Fang Yao, employed detectives to track them down and it was about six months afterwards before they were arrested-in Kuangsi-and brought to trial. H. M. Consul-General's statement in the letter under acknowledgment that more expedition was shown then in dealing with the piracy of the S.S. "Namoa" than has now been shown in dealing with the piracy case appears therefore to be an exaggeration.
As regards the suggestion that the British Navy should assist in patrolling that would indeed be an infringement of our sovereign rights and is one to which we can hardly agree.'
The statements contained in the Commissioner's letter seem to me, on delibera- tion, to be only reasonable. I have now again given strict orders to the military and district officials in question to insist on detectives being sent to assist in arresting the criminals in the case and have now the honour to send you this reply for your in- formation.
C.-CASE OF THE S.S. "HONG WHA”.
Pirated on 13th January, 1925.
I.-General Report by Captain Superintendent of Police on the Piracy
of the S.S. "Hong Wha”.
S.S. Hong Wha (Captain Angus MacKenzie) is a British ship of 1924 tons nett register, registered at Singapore and owned by the Ho Hong Steamship Co. of No. 61 Chu Lia Street, Singapore. The Company is a Chinese concern. She runs between Rangoon, Penang, Singapore, Hong Kong, Swatow and Amoy, carrying passengers and cargo. She carries no guards and is not protected against piracy. as she does not come under the Hong Kong Piracy Prevention Ordinance.
S.S. "Hong Wha" left Singapore for Hong Kong and ports at 5 p.m. on the 7th of January, 1925, carrying 357 passengers and a general cargo. No first class passen- gers were carried, and with the exception of 3 second class passengers all the passen- gers travelled third class.
ing.
The usual course for Hong Kong was steered with a strong N.E. Monsoon blow-
Nothing untoward occurred during the voyage until the 6th day out when at 8.40 a.m. on the 13th January, when the ship was in Lat: 14°53′ North. Long: 110°24′ East, whistles were blown and the Captain, his Officers, the crew and passen- The gers were held up by about 30 armed men, who suddenly appeared from below. attack was a complete surprise and the pirates thus had immediate and full control of the ship. No resistance was offered by the Officers and crew, who, taken unawares, had perforce to submit to the pirates' demands.