[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
[B]
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[322]
(Confidential.) Sir,
No. 1.
[January 4.]
SECTION 2. C. C.
2753
07.
Admiralty to Foreign Office,~(Received January 4, 1907.)
Admiralty, December 31, 1906. I AM commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to transmit herewith, for the information of the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, copy of a Report which has been received from Commander Majendie, the Senior Naval Officer at Shanghae, on the present state of the Chinese navy, dated the 1st November, 1906.
I am, &c.
(Signed)
C. I. THOMAS.
Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
Commander Majendie to Vice-admiral Sir A. Moore.
(Confidential.) Commander-in-chief,
"Cadmus," at Shanghae, November 1, 1906. HEREWITH is submitted a Report on the present state of the Chinese navy, as far as it could be ascertained during the transition stage incidental to the so-called reorganization now in progress.
Submitted in compliance with the suggestion in attached Memorandum.
(Signed)
BERNARD LOUIS MAJENDIE, Commander und Senior Naval Officer at Shanghae.
Inclosure 2 in No. 1.
Captain Jones to Secretary to Vice-Admiral Sir A. Moore.
(4
(Confidential.) Secretary,
Diadem," August 13, 1906. WITH reference to the Commander-in-Chief's Confidential Memorandum of the 11th August, 1906, Heading I, I understand that W. F. Tyler, Esq., who is a retired Lieutenant R.N.R., and until lately in the employ of the Imperial Chinese Customs, Shanghae, has received an important appointment in connection with the so-called reorganization of the Chinese navy. He is a man of great influence in Chinese naval affairs, and would therefore, if willing, be in a position to supply all the information the Admiralty require, which would be far more satisfactory than stray details which be
may picked up by observation or from newspapers.
I know him, and could write to him on the subject, but as I believe he would not commit himself to putting anything on paper, I suggest that the Senior Naval Officer, Shanghae, should be communicated with, with a view to his arranging a personal interview with Tyler, when I believe the information would be forthcoming.
(Signed) W. T. C. JONES,
Captain, R.M.L.I., and I.0.A.
P.S.Tyler is a man of great importance in his own circle, and rather peculiar, so that the officer who interviews him should be a man of tact.
[2310 d-2]
W. T. C. J.
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