DIEU
ET MON
DROIT
2215
RECEIVED
4. 2 AUG 1932
COL.OFFICE
Government House, Đông Phong.
1st July, 1932.
My dear Cowell,
19
I have for acknowledgment your letter
82874/31, of the 4th May, regarding the case of
Captain Pritchard of the s.s. "Sui Tai".
I have spoken to the Harbour Master
about this case, about which I have never felt very
happy. The case was brought by the Deputy Harbour
Master in his private capacity, and the Harbour
Master, who had no previous knowledge of it, heard
it in his judicial capacity as Marine Magistrate.
He felt that he had no option but to deal with the
matter entirely from a judicial point of view, and
from that point of view there seems little doubt but
that his decision was correct.
I think it is unfortunate that our
officials should be mixed up in a case like this,
which leads to a considerable amount of ill-feeling,
H. R. Cowell, Esq. C.M.G.,
Colonial Office,
Downing Street.