ENCLOSURE.
134
TELEGRAM
from the Officer Administering the Government
of Hong Kong to the Secretary of State for the Colonies.
Dated 21st February, 1930.
(Received Colonial Office 1.40 p.m. 21st February, 1930).
Confidential.
Your telegram of 1st February Confidential anti-
piracy guards. I invite reference to my despatch of 5th
January 1920 confidential. I adhere to views expressed
therein and consider that shipping companies have not
taken adequate steps in the meantime to provide against
position which will arise on withdrawal of Naval and
Military guards. I agree generally with the views
expressed in anti-piracy committees report of 2nd July
and Haiching piracy has not altered my views. The
attempt in that case was rendered possible by failure to
secure certain opening by which pirates gained access to
grilled area. I agree with Ministers views on this
piracy expressed in his despatch of 12th December
(1789).
The shipping companies are at last alive to their
position and I received on 15th February a request to
receive a deputation for the purpose of considering a
scheme then for the first time put before this Government
that a special force should be created of good class
fighting men from India with an establishment of British
or foreign N.C.'s the whole to form a separate unit under
its own commanding officer and placed for training and
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