599
with the trouble. He mentioned incidentally that
the policing of the inner waters had, since the
Revolution, been transferred to the Ministry of
Interior, and that the West River patrol was no
longer directly under his jurisdiction.
The
After considerable discussion it was
finally agreed that the Minister should represent the
urgency of the question to the President and that
His Excellency should be moved to depute a high
official to proceed to Canton to deal with the whole
question in concert with the British Kaval
Authorities and with the Governor of Hongkong.
President who has been kept informed through his
Private Secretary of all that has passed intends, I
understand, to send Admiral Teao to Canton for this
purpose. His Excellency Yuan Shihkai was President
of the Wai Wu Pu when we took over the control of
the West River in 1907, so that he will naturally
desire to avoid a repetition of the experiment.
I also referred in the course of the inter-
view to the attack mentioned above on the Norwegian
Steamship "Childar", and pointed out that being in
charge of Norwegian interests I had a two-fold interest
in these questions.
I am sending a copy of this despatch to
the Governor of Hongkong and am invoking His Excellency's good offices in the matter.
I have, etc.,
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
SIR EDWARD GREY, BART., K.G., M.P.,
&c..
&0.
&c.
(Signed) J.N.JORDAN.