J
+ CONFIDENTIAL.
Sir,
P
REC
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526
REG > JAN 8
GOVERNMENT HOUSE.
HONGKONG, 14th. November, 1917.
231
Gov
I have the honour to confirm Sir F. H. May's
55291 cypher telegram of the 10th. instant on the subject of an enquiry made by the Imperial Japanese Consul General here as to whether there would be any objection to Japanese fishermen making Hongkong a base for fishing operations.
On receipt of Mr. Suzuki's letter of the 29th October to the Colonial Secretary I caused a copy
Enclosure 1.
of it to be communicated confidentially to the Commodore and asked for an expression of his views and in reply received the letter, copy of which I enclose, from the Commodore's Secretary dated 8th. November, 1917.
In view of the Commodore's reply and of the fact that the fishing grounds in the waters of the Colony are already fully fished by the local Chinese Community thousands of whom eke out a precarious livelihood by this trade and that therefore any fresh enterprise was doomed to failure Sir Henry May decided that it would be inexpedient to comply with the request and to base his refusal on the incovenience that would be caused by the competition with the local fishermen but as the question is an international one he deemed it prudent to obtain
your approval before giving a definite reply to the Consul -
General.
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
WALTER LONG, M. P.,
&C..
&c..
I have the honour to be,
Sir..
Your most obedient, humble servant,
Edudi Coem
Officer Administering the Government.
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