launches holding Inland Water Certificates and entitled to fly the British flag from twenty-three to nine, and, of these, two more are shortly to be transferred.
The seven launches which will finally remain are:—
Name. Owner. The Bramiceo Pak in Hok Fati +7 *5 The British American Tobacco Company, Messrs. Butterfield and Swire. Kwai Ping M ... Ma Po The Asiatic Petroleum Company (Limited). Cheang Po Wo Fung ::: Messrs. Meyer and Co., Agents. R. C. Bamjee, Yokohama. Messrs. Patell and Co., Agents. Ditto, ditto. Ditto, ditto. Messrs. Bunker and Co., Hong Kong.(This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.
CHINA TRADE.
CONFIDENTIAL.
[37257]
No. 1.
0.
393
44783 [October 26.]
SECTION 15 DEC 08
The advantage gained by the elimination of the doubtful element in the ownership of launches flying the British flag is undoubtedly considerable, and I do not think that the disappearance of the flag from vessels of this type is any serious loss to genuine British interests or prestige in these waters.
The effective patrol of the Delta and the West River districts may possibly have been stimulated by the presence of numerous vessels flying foreign flags, and the partial disappearance of those flags may result in a corresponding relaxation of the patrol, but this contingency is remote and does not seem to me to afford a sufficient reason for keeping the launches in British hands.
The French have recently adopted Regulations identical with our own, and there is, the French Consul informs me, a considerable reduction in the number of launches flying the French flag in consequence.
I have, &c. (Signed) H. H. FOX.
Board of Trade to Foreign Office,~(Received October 26.)
Sir,
Board of Trade, October 24, 1908. IN reply to your letter of the 28th ultimo, forwarding copies of correspondence relative to the control of British launches on the Canton and West Rivers, I am directed by the Board of Trade to state, for the information of Sir E. Grey, that they concur generally in the action which has been taken in the matter by the British Representatives in China, and they agree with the principle that launches should be prevented from flying the British flag unless they are British owned.
With the information at their disposal the Board do not feel competent to express a definite opinion as regards the question of registry, but it appears to them that there should be no insuperable difficulty in some at least of the launches obtaining registry under the Merchant Shipping Act; if in any case, however, it is impracticable to obtain this registry, they see no objection to a launch flying the British flag, provided satisfactory evidence is produced of genuine British ownership.
I am, &c. (Signed) WALTER J. HOWELL.
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