08
Copy.
Conf.
Inclo in Sir J. Jordan's No.473 of
November 1906.
Sir Robert Hart to Viceroy Chou Fu.
9th November, 1906.
43527
DEC 09 (909)
40
I have the honour to acknowledge receipt of
Your Excellency's letter of optember 29th, stating
that the Canton Provincial Government is considering
some scheme for the examination of passengers, and
calling upon me to investigate the regulations in force
in the C stoms establishments of other countries for
the prevention of piracy, and to communicate the result
of my investigations confidentäälly to the Commissioners
of Customs that similar precautions may be devised.
I have the honour to state in reply that there is
no country where the conditions correspond to those in
China, and that there are no special regulations for
the examination of passengers. All that there is in
other countries is the coast guard, and the territorial
police, each of which protects and patrols its appointed
ground, taking precautions to prevent crime, and effect-
ing arrests when, in spite of this, crime is committed,
in fulfilment of the cuties which their service places in
their handa.
If, on account of the prevalence of piracy, hina now
institutes the official examination of passengers 辈
baggage, such a
proceeding would involve delay in departure and be prejudicial to the shipping trade:
while if this duty be imposed on the shipping firms and
their