E
C.C
[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Governmergi47
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
445
RECP [October BOJNOV 07
CONFIDENTIAL.
[35713]
(No. 112.)
No. 1.
Sir Edward Grey to Sir J. Jordan,
SECTION 1.
(Telegraphic.) P.
Foreign Office, October 30, 1907, CANTON piracies. Please see your telegrams No. 180 of the 18th instant, No. 181 of the 25th instant, and No. 182 of the 28th instant.
You should inform the Chinese Government that these repeated outrages on the property of British subjects, which have occurred at such short intervals, have created a situation of which His Majesty's Government take a serious view; that in view of the warnings, which have now extended over a considerable period, that His Majesty's Government have given to China, and of the complete disregard by China of the suggestions which they have made, the contention of the Viceroy that he is not responsible for the payment of compensation is quite untenable; that the negligence shown by his Excellency and his predecessors in refraining from taking any effective steps to assure the security of the waterways is the direct cause of the proceedings of the robbers; that His Majesty's Government must hold the Chinese Government responsible for payment, unless compensation be forthcoming locally without delay; lastly, that His Majesty's Government are in communication with Admiral Moore, the Commander-in-chief of the China Station, in order to ascertain, as regards the future, what measures the forces under his command can take to protect British shipping from further piratical attacks.
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