76.
37779
Enclosure 4. 1904. November,
335
British Military Officer.
4.
Lieutenant Pini is a very young gentleman who does not quite realise the position of himself and his men at Hongkong. Everything has been done and will be done to make this position, with the disagreeable nature of which I fully sympathise, as little irksome as possible consistent with the Colony's duties towards the other belligerent in the present war, and I trust that if diplomatic representations are made on the basis of any report received in St. Petersburgh from Lieutenant Pini this may be pointed out to the Russian Government.
5.
I take this opportunity of acknowledging the receipt of your telegram of the 7th instant, of which an en clair version is annexed, with regard to the Russian sailors leaving their camp in small parties not in military formation and of informing you that I have approved of the Major-General Commanding relaxing the present measures in the matter to the extent he thinks possible without there being risk of the men leaving the Colony, a comparatively easy proceeding in a port of the nature of Hongkong which is always crowded with boats and Foreign Shipping.
6.
I also take this opportunity of informing you that at the request of the Russian Consul and Lieutenant Tyrkov I made arrangements for the employment of the Russian sailors on public works in a secluded spot in the vicinity of their camp, the work to be paid for by the Colonial Government, but that when the arrangements had been completed Lieutenant Pini, who had then become the senior Russian Officer thought it ...