[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.]
AFFAIRS OF CHINA.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[2173]
No. 1.
[January 20.]
SECTION 2
C.O.
7780
(Confidential.) Sir,
IREC IP: 4 MAR 08
Admiralty to Foreign Office.--(Received January 20.)
Admiralty, January 14, 1908,
I AM commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to transmit herewith, for the information of the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, a copy of a letter dated the 28th November, together with its inclosures, which has been received from the Commander-in-chief on the China Station, respecting the question of piracy in the Canton Delta, and I am to state that their Lordships concur with the views expressed by the Commander-in-chief, China, regarding the registration of launches under the British flag (see Inclosure 7).
I am, &c.
(Signed)
C. I. THOMAS.
Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
Admiral Sir A. Moore to Admiralty.
K
(Confidential.) Sir,
"King Alfred," at Hong Kong [undated].
IN continuation of my submission of the 29th September last on the subject of piracy in the West River and Canton Delta, be pleased to inform their Lordships as follows:-
2. On the 18th instant I proceeded to Canton in His Majesty's ship "Alacrity," accompanied by the destroyer "Hart." I had previously sent the "Cadmus" up, to be present on the occasion of His Majesty the King's birthday, and to take the opportunity to arrange for my interview with the Viceroy through His Britannic Majesty's Consul-General.
Accompanied by Mr. Mansfield, I paid an official visit to his Excellency Chang-jen-chun on the 19th November. His Excellency returned my call on the following day, and by prearrangement the occasion was taken to discuss the proposed measures for the suppression of piracy. An account of this conference is given in Inclosure 3.
3. It will be noted that during the interview the Viceroy referred to a new scheme which he had drawn up. I had previously obtained a copy of this scheme from His Britannic Majesty's Consul-General, and I inclose a translation of the proposals, together with the remarks of the Senior Naval Officer of the West River gun-boats (Inclosure 2).
4. The net result of the interview was that the Viceroy agreed to--
(a.) Provide four fast launches for patrol service, in addition to the flotilla of steam-launches recently placed in the river;
(b.) To provide for the systematic patrol of the river;
(c) To consult the Commissioner of Customs, Canton, in matters appertaining to the patrol service;
(d.) To provide for the co-operation of soldiers on shore with the patrol launches, to enable the robbers to be followed up in cases where they escape to the shore.
He, however, declined to agree to the stipulation which has been so repeatedly urged by us, and which his predecessor and the Central Government at Peking had undertaken to carry out, viz., that the four fast launches should be placed under the control of the Imperial Maritime Customs, with European officers belonging to that service in command.
In support of his decision he quoted the opinion of the Commissioner of Customs at Canton, who had, he alleged, informed him that there were many difficulties in the way of such a procedure.
With reference to the strong representation which I made to his Excellency in
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