108
PILOTAGE OF PEARL RIVER: Reports proposed new Japanese regulations.
No.30 (& 2 copies)
Copied to Foreign Office,
No.8 (and 2 copies)
Governor, Hongkong, No.11
British Consulate-General,
Canton.
5th February,
40.
Sir,
C.-in-C. No.2.
Commodore, Hongkong, No.2 Tokyo, No.4.
BY SAFE HAND
With reference to my telegram No.13 of January 31st last, I have the honour to enclose herein copy of a letter from the Japanese Consul transmitting an English version of the Temporary Regulations of the Pearl River Pilotage Service. An independent translation of the Japanese text, prepared by Mr. G.N. Walker, is also enclosed for purposes of comparison.
2. My first intimation of the probability of this development came some ten days ago when the Commissioner of Customs showed me, in confidence, his semi-official letter of January 25th to the Inspector-General on the subject. The Commissioner had been told by the Japanese Consul that pilotage would be compulsory for vessels of over 300 tons and that fees would be levied: Mr. Matsudaira also stated that the Pilotage Board would be under the cantrol of the Japanese Navy at the beginning, but would be transferred to the Commissioner of Customs when the river was re-opened.
3. It will be remembered that paragraph 5 (a) of the temporary agreement regarding navigation of the Pearl River, a copy of which was enclosed in Mr. Blunt's despatch No. 129 of July 10th, 1939 to His Excellency the Governor of Hongkong (No. 135 to Your Excellency) provides, as regards British steamers:
Reasonable
"A Japanese pilot will be on board the vessel
between Canton and Bocca Tigris. pilotage fees may be charged."
I do not think however that it can be held that this clause contemplated a system of compulsory pilotage such as is set forth in the "Temporary Regulation", and the fees prescribed in Article 11 cannot be described as reasonable: in the case of the China Navigation Company's SS "Fatshan", the only British steamer regularly visiting this port, the fees will, according to the agent's calculation, be at least three times those leviable under the Pilotage Regulations embodied in King's Regulation No. 4 of 1918.
4. Other very objectionable features in the "Temporary Regulation" are as follows:-
(a) Article 2, which exempts Japanese military
chartered vessels, which are in fact only camouflaged merchant ships.
(b) The exclusion of Whompos, in Article 9.
This is, of course, in conformity with the Japanese intention to exclude Whampoa from
His Majesty's Ambassador,
British Embassy,
Shanghai.
Customs
: