"CPX.
(7 9546/41/10)
Despatch No. 2108(20382/27)
Copy to Canton 119(20334/27)
Hongkong 109(20336/27) C-in-C. 72(20338/27) Shanghai #09 (20340/27) Tokyo 124(20342/27
Minutes of meet- ing held 11 a.m. Hov.16th, with
Minutes of moet ing held 3.30 p. n. Eov. 16th. with annex.
317,
282
British Legation,
PEKINO
Jovember 18th, 1987,
While the Diplomatie Rody were, as reported
in my despatches Hoa. 1097 and 2082 of October 6th
and November ärá respectively, considering
question of pirmay suppression, yet another onKe
of pirsay soɑurred which showed that the measures
hitherto adopted had not been sufficiently offeo-
tive as a deterrent. The 3.5. "Irene", belonging
to the Chinese Merchants' Steam Navigation Company
and flying the Chinese flag, was pirated on October
19th and sank during an attempt to intercept her
and arrest the pirates when the latter endeavoured
to run her inte Bias Bay on the following day.
2. It appears, from a telegram which I re-
seived from the C-in-C, just after this event, that
the Governor of Hongkong bad for some time been
meditating a plan for further punitive measures
against Bins Bay in the event of another pirney of
a British vessel. The plan was to land a military
feree of about 500 men and, in an operation lasting
three days, to destroy the entire township of Fan Le-Kong
8.234./
The Right Honourable
Sir Austen Chamberlain, F.C..2.0....
⚫te..
etc..
eta.
Foreign Office.