}
478
presence of criminals who were wanted for offences committed
in China, and the information thus acquired was transmitted
to Canton and formed the grounds for an application for the
arrest and extradition of the criminals. More effective
results would be obtained if these emissaries reported them-
-selves and worked in co-operation with our Detective Depart-
-ment while equal facilities might be afforded to our
detectives in locating and arresting in Canton fugitive
criminals from Hongkong. The heads of the Detective Depart-
-ments in the two cities may perhaps correspond direct in-
-formally. Criminals pass to and fro from Canton by the
river boats which carry from 3,000 to 4,000 passengers each
way daily, and one or two efficient detectives placed on
every steamer, should be able to effect many arrests while
telegraphic descriptions of absconding criminals should
ensure their arrest on landing at Canton or Hongkong as the
case may be. In this direction also practical co-operation
between the two Governments should be productive of
good results. I hope also that I may find it feasible to
extend the operation of the existing extradition procedure
with mutual benefit. At present owing partly no doubt to the
great expense involved, and the still greater uncertainty of
very
obtaining