Į
In any further communication
on the subject, please quote
No. 28835/45/A.
and address-
The Under-Secretary of State,
Foreign Office,
London.
mbassador.
kel 3rd.
2
7812
REC
RED? 13 FEB 17 to
2614
Sir:- -261k
With ref
5366
145
FOREIGN OFFICE
February 12th, 1917.
With reference to my letter No. 20201 of the 17th ultimo, I am directed by Mr. Secretary Balfour to transmit to you, herewith, copy of a Note from the United States Ambassador respecting
the detention at Hongkong of certain stores for
the American Presbyterian Mission.
From the enclosure to Mr. Dering's despatch No. 239 of the 12th of December last, copy of
which was enclosed in my letter under reference,
two cases are mentioned containing guns and ammunition and a third containing ammunition only; it appears that only the third case was labelled
condensed milk. If the third case was not from
Messrs. Montgomery, Ward and Company the matter
may be explainable and Mr. Spilman may have been
under a misapprehension in thinking that all the
detained goods were concealed in cases labelled
condensed milk.
I am therefore to suggest that it would be
desirable to cause enquiries to be made at
Hongkong as to the actual circumstances in which
two consignments of guns and ammunition and the
separate consignments of ammunition were discovered.
A copy of this letter and enclosures is being
forwarded to His Majesty's Minister at Bangkok.
I am,
The Under Secretary of State,
Colonial Office.
Sir,
Your most obedient,
humble Servant,
Maurice de Nansen