Peking, May 6th., 1909
C.O.
24977
I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of Your Excellency's letter of April 21st suggesting that, in return for the services rendered by the Hongkong Observatory to shipping frequenting the South coast of China, the Chinese Government should justify their claims to the atoll of Pratas, and the recognition of these claims by His Majesty's Government, by establishing an observation station on the atoll.
I understand that a question has arisen between the Japanese and Chinese Governments in regard to the operations of some Japanese subjects on the atoll, and it appears to me that a suggestion at this juncture in the sense proposed might be open to misconstruction. My Japanese colleague could hardly fail to regard it, no matter how carefully advanced, as an act of intervention of a scarcely friendly character, while the Chinese Authorities would probably interpret it as an encouragement to present a more stubborn front to the Japanese representations.
These considerations, which may not have occurred to Your Excellency at the date of your letter, seem to me to render the present moment inopportune for putting forward a request, which, if there were no discussion on the subject of the atoll between Japan and China, would be perfectly reasonable and advantageous.
I have etc.,
(Sgd.) J. N. Jordan,
His Excellency Sir F. D. Lugard, K.C.M.G., C.B., D.S.O.,
&c., &c., &c., Hongkong.