*1.4121/25."
wir,
Admiralty win.l.
16th December 1925.
233
I am commanded by My Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to acquaint you that They have had under their consideration your letter 42440/25 of 25th september 1925, forwarding a submission from the Governor of long kong that the cost of running the four armed patrol launches on the Canton Delta should be borns entirely by Imperial Funds, 2. The cost of running these launches has been taken over entirely by the British Navy from 22nd August, lest since the hòng Kong community can no longer be regarded as obtaining any advantage from their maintenance, present application therefore relates to the expensO S which were borne by the Colony prior to 21st August 1925. 3. It does not appear to Their Lordships that the cost of the work of checking piracy in Chinese waters should fall entirely upon Naval funds. Even in the high seas there are limits to the protection that the Navy can give to trade or that traders can reasonably demand from the Navy. Merchant ships are expected to protect themselves to a large extent from sporadic attack and also to accept inconveniences, some of wid ch *.6. sailing under convoy - are mich the same as the nong Kong traders complained of. It appears to the Admiralty to be an untenable proposition that trader should expect to carry on their business without inconvenience or danger in a foreign country suffering from civil war and should have provided for tuas, without cost to themselves, whatever increase of protection is necessary to effect
this.
4.
Đ
In Their Lordships' view therefore the cost of hire
and
The Under Secretary of state,
Colonial Office.