1.
52711
[This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government, and should be returned to the Foreign Offios if not required for official use.]
66
END
2
From
CHINA.
Decode.
Sir M. Lampson, (Peking),
27th October 1928.
D.
?
29th October 1928.
R. 3.50 p.m.
29th October 1928.
No. 1209.
Your telegram No. 285.
In view of detailed knowledge of this problem at
Hongkong and of fact that naval advice is easily avail-
able and head offices of shipping companies situated
there, I have suggested to the Officer Administering
the Government, that he might take action as suggested
in paragraph 2.
The attitude of the shipping companies is so well known that I am not very hopeful of this line of appro-
ach. I am frankly at a loss to know what else to
suggest unless more naval patrol vessels can be spared.
If and when I visit Nanking it may be possible to tackle
the Nanking goverment on the subject of co-operation of
piracy suppression. But at present we seem to be near-
ing the point when despite political objections and
practical difficulties we shall again be forced to
concider independent punitive action.
Addressed to Foreign Office, repeated to Commander-
in-Chief, Hongkong for Canton and Singapore.