73
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The position of detachments from the South China Command located for a temporaryjat Settlements in South
purpose
China is very undefined. It is clear that the jurisdiction of the Governor of Hongkong as titular Commander-in-Chief thereof does not extend beyond the boundaries of the Colony and I presume that in such cases the General
officer Commanding, South China, should maintain relations
with the Consul General at the place where troops are located through the British Minister at Peking, but nothing appears to be laid down officially on the subject. At present this matter is being dealt with by the expedient of transferring troops from Kilitary to Naval Command, a procedure not altogether desirable and one which leads to a state of undefined and divided respon- aibility. To take a concrete case in the case of Canton somebody (Isuppose the Minister on the demand of the the Consul General) represents to somebody (I presume the
Näval Admiral) that protection is required. A temporary/landing party is supplied and when these can no longer be allowed to be absent from their ships, a certain number of soldiers to replace them are ordered from Home to be despatched from my Command without my being made aware of the papose for which they are wanted, and without my being asked what number of troops I consider nece ssary for the purpose at the place in question. These troops
are placed at the disposal of the Naval Commander-in-Chief
who is a thousand or more miles from Canton, with the
result that the land protection of the Settlement at
Canton is under the command of the senior Naval officer
-
on the spot a Commander, Royal Navy, and I am placed
in the position of being unable to issue an order to the
Detachment although I am only five hours by rail distant
from it.
I submit that this state of affairs is in all
ways