Captain
S/S
Dear Sir,
COPY.
65
Shanghai, July 14th, 1928.
Smuggling of Arms & Munitions of War.
At a meeting held recently at H.B.M. Consulate-
General in Shanghai between representatives of Brit ish
Shipping Companies and the Consular Authorities, the
latter stressed the extreme importance of doing every-
thing possible to maintain the good faith of Great
Britain in the matter of suppression of smuggling of
Arms and munitions of war in China. The necessity to
be above suspicion in this matter is of the greatest
importance to avoid Chinese mistrust of British motives
in China. Cases were mentioned in which arms traffic
on board British vessels (not C.N.Co. Ltd.) had been
discovered and the matter dealt with, according to
Consular view, in a somewhat perfunctory manner.
We fully concur as to the importance of this
matter and we shall be glad if you will therefore place
on record on your vessel that when you have good reason to suspect that arms and/or munitions of war are secreted
on board, immediate information be given to Agents at
first Port of Call of the fact and every endeavour made
on arrival to maintain crew intact on board until
investigation can be made.
H.B.M.Consul-General places
the greatest value on the detection, arrest a nd handing
over tó justice of the guilty party in such transactions
and/