[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[35556]
No. 1.
[October 22.]
SECTION 2. CO
42969
R 22 NOV O
Mr. Carnegie to Sir Edward Grey.--(Received October 22.) (No. 365.) Sir,
Peking, September 3, 1906.
I HAVE the honour to transmit herewith translation of the reply which I have received from the Wai-wu Pu to my note of the 18th August, copy of which was inclosed in my despatch No. 353 of the 22nd August, relative to the two cases of piracy of British launches plying on the West River which have occurred since the attack on the "Sainam.” The Wai-wu Pu, after giving details of these outrages, which have been supplied by the Viceroy of Canton, state that his Excellency considers that the piracy of vessels plying singly is largely due to the practice of embarking passengers en route and the laxity with which inspections are conducted, and that he has appointed an official to discuss with His Majesty's Consul-General and the Commissioner of Customs measures of precaution to be adopted.
As will be seen from Inclosure 2 in Mr. Mansfield's despatch No. 39 of the 10th August, of which I inclose copy, the Viceroy has already communicated to him for his consideration certain regulations which he proposes should be enforced on all British vessels. Mr. Mansfield states that his Excellency has acted in the "Sainam" case with energy and promptitude, and that it is probable that a fair proportion of the pirates will be brought to justice.
The organization by European experts of a proper police force, both on shore and on the waterways, is, in Mr. Mansfield's opinion, the obvious and only real remedy for the present state of affairs. The principal difficulties of carrying out such a scheme lie in the Viceroy's dislike of foreigners and his precarious financial position.
I have, &c.
(Signed) LANCELOT D. CARNEGIE.
P.S.-I have the honour to inclose copy of a despatch just received from His Majesty's Consul-General at Canton, containing details of the piracy of the two British launches referred to above.
Inclosure in No. 1.
L. D. C.
(Translation.) Sir,
Wai-wu Pu to Mr. Carnegie.
Peking, Kuang Hsü, 32nd year, 7th month, 9th day (August 28, 1906),
WE have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 18th instant, concerning two cases of piracy of British launches plying on the West River, and requesting the issue of instructions to the Viceroy of Canton for the arrest and punishment of the pirates without delay.
On the receipt of your note, we communicated by telegraph with their Excellencies the Viceroy of Canton and Governor of Kuangsi, and the former has now replied stating that on the 10th August, as passengers were taking their places on the British steamer "Jung-Fa" at the main jetty of Nan-Tan-Chu in Kuangsi, the vessel was boarded by over twenty pirates, who opened fire on the soldiers conducting the inspection of passengers and killed two of them, named Chu Chi and Li Yuan respectively, whilst three others, Chang Sheng, Lu Yün, and Ning Piao, wounded by the firing, were pinioned in the hold of the vessel. The pirates then compelled the vessel to proceed down-stream, and on arriving at Ta-Mu-Yung, on the Meng River, two more pirates, armed with rifles and revolvers, came to the assistance of those already on the launch, which was now forbidden to show any lights or to blow her whistle. In this way they rushed past the Customs station at Wuchow at 9 P.M.,
* Not printed.
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