177
Copy.
Via Siberia.
No.1789 (4/75.7.)
(314/8/10).
Copy to C-an-C
Shanghai G.O.C.
Hon Kong. Canton.
British Legation,
Feking,
12th December, 1929.
sir,
The attempted piracy of the Douglas steamship
"Haiching" of which full details were reported in the
Commander-in-Chief's telegram to the Admiralty Number
798 of December 11th, raises once again the question of
the onus of responsibility for the protection against
pirates of British shipping in Chinese waters so long as
the Chinese government are themselves unable or unwilling
to fulfil their proper responsibilities in this respect.
2.
That the attempted piracy did not succeed, and
that the "Haiching" was not added to the long list of ships
taken to Bias Bay and there looted was evi ently entirely
que, as the Commander-in-Chief observes, to the spirited
and courageous resistance of the Captain and Ufficers (to
whom all honour is ue and whose bravery will I hope be
suitably recognised) and to the excellent anti-piracy
organisation of the "Haiching". The value of internal
defence measures on board ship has thus once more been
proved.
3.
It is a remarkable fact that this is the first
instance of un attack by pirates on a vouglas st amship
The Right Honourable
Arthur Henderson,
...
&C..
80.,
Foreign Office.
whce e