CONFIDENTIAL.
544
C.O.
26403
RECO &
Admiralty (REG! 31 JUL OF
10 July 1901.
Sir,
My Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty having had before them your letter of the 26th ultimo, 0149/273(D.M.I) and its enclosures, respecting the recent sketching of the defences of Hong Kong from Russian war vessels in the territorial waters of that Colony, desire me to request that you will represent to Mr Secretary Brodrick that the means adopted by the Russian officers in this instance to obtain information appear to have been tactless and offensive, and my Lords suggest that it may be desirable to invite the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to draw the attention of the Russian Government to the matter. With reference to Mr Brodrick's request for their Lordships' opinion as to whether the local ordinances are applicable in such circumstances to foreign officers on board foreign war vessels, I am to suggest that this is probably the case from a strictly legal point of view, but the difficulty of enforcing the law would be great, and from the standpoint of expediency it would be most undesirable to attempt it, as tending to lead to serious complications.
These considerations also prevent my Lords from concurring in Sir H. Blake's suggestion as to firing across the bows of offending vessels, and subsequently on such vessels if no notice is taken.
The Under Secretary of State,
War Office.
I am, &c:
(Signed) Evan Macgregor.