!
T
No.
NUMBER AND DATE SHOULD BE QUOTED IN REFERENCE
TO THIS LETTEN
(3)
GOVERNMENT HOUSE,
HONGKONG
99
(4)
Your Lordships telegram of November 16th directed me to
take noaction pending further instructions and your
subsequent telegram of November 19th informed me that
there would be no question of the Government of Hongkong
giving armed assistance at the request of the Government
ar
60730/19
66030/12
of Yacao.
I wrote accordingly to Senhor da Silva whose reply showed
that he was still apprehensive of trouble and that he
felt it necessary to take precautions. I was informed
privately that the local reserves were called out but
I did not receive any further communication until the
4th of January when the Governor wrote -
"I have received from my Government a cable saying that
the British Legation at Peking must have received from
His Lajesty's Goverment some instructions concerning the
pretended action against the Macao works by Chinese forces
and I hope that this diplomatic intervention will greatly
contribute to reestablish the situation."
(5) Keanwhile paragraphs continued to appear in the newspapers
at frequent intervals referring to the friction between
the Chinese and the Government of Vacao on the subject
of the Harbour works and on the 15th of January Senhor
da Silva called my attention to press reports that six
Chinese warships (three sent by the Northern and three
by the Southern Government) were under orders for kacao
to enforce the stopping of the harbour works.
I