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Translation.
No.113.
*)
Sir,
Enclosure 226
REC
Governmėti
41429
liacao, 27th July, 1914.
I have the honour to acknowledge with thanks the receipt of letter No.2079 of the 16th of July which Your Exceliency has addressed to me on the subject of the prejudices which the band a of pirates who infest the regions of the Delta of the Province of Kwangtung are causing to the commerce of the Colonies of Macao and of
Hongkong.
Like Your Excellency I also wish to employ the most effective efforts in combatting these criminals. The Government of Hongkong will always have at its side, today as ever, the most solicitous co-operation of the Government of wacao in the exterminat- ion of the hordes of pirates who prejudice so much the commerce and the good name of these two colonies.
2.
Of what is said directly with respect to this Province
rigorous measures have been taken to prevent the embarkation of pir- ates and the transport of arms by the steamers which leave the port of Macao, and to avoid the perpetration of assaults or of crimes by pirates in Macao. Thus, Your Excellency will certainly have observed, crimes of such nature are fortunately rare in Lacao and, with only one exception, none of the steamers leaving this port were attacked on the voyage by criminals who might have embarked at Macao.
This policing is relatively easy in this Colony, thanka
to the small extent of its territory and to the small number of steamers which leave its port. But, even so, it is not enough, and recourse to other most energetic forms of defence will be necessary.
3.
I know, as does Your Excellency, that the Chinese Police, considered jointly, do not merit guaranteed confidence, and
is Excellency
The Governor of Hongkong.