}
Copy.
CONFIDENTIAL.
Enclosure / .
303
Government House,
Hongkong, 29th April,
1916.
gir,
I have the honour to report that consequent upon the declaration of independence of Kwangtung Province
on the 6th instant, the Chinese Telegraph Administration at
Peking notified through the International Office at Berne
the suspension, under Article VIII of the International
Convention, of international telegraphic correspondence with Kwangtung except as regarde foreign Goverment telegrams, at senders' risk, and Chinese Government telegrams; and the cable companies here were notified
accordingly by the Chinese Administration at Peking.
2+
These restrictions seriously prejudice the
trade of this Port, which has need of constant international
telegraphic communication with Canton. In addition, the
local office of the Chinese Administration which is, 28
you are aware, situated in the cable company's offices, Was
directed by the Chinese Telegraph Administration at Peking,
to suspend local traffic with Canton. Such suspension would ·
have been very prejudicial to the trade of this port, and
since this local Chinese Office is under my control at
present owing to the state of war, I gave directions that
it must continue to exchange local traffic with Canton as
usual, subject to the censorship which has been instituted
in the interests of law and order in the province, and which
after the declaration of independence by Kwangtung I formul-
ated for the guidance of the censorate as follows:-
(1).
THE RIGHT HONOURABLE
ANDREW BONAR LAW, M.P..
&c.,
&C.,
&c.