23
No. 928 731/2/48
His Majesty's Embassy presents its complimenta
to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and has the honour,
under instructions from His majesty's Government in
the United Kingdom, to refer to the Embassy's Kote
No. 727 of the 14th august, 1947, requesting payment
for the expenses incurred by the Hong Kong Government
in maintaining watchmen aboard three oviet ships at
Hong Kong His Majesty's imbassy nor understands
that in a letter dated 22nd September, 1948, the London
Branch of the oscow larodny Bank Limited sent to
His Majesty's Foreign Office a cheque for £254
to cover these expenses in respect of two of these ships,
the "Simferopol" and the "Sviratrai" for the period from
1st September, 1945, to 31st December, 1941.
2.
158. Oa
mention was made of the third ship the "Sergei Lazo".
deanwhile, it has come to the notice of His
Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom that the
Soviet Government have been claiming compensation
through their agents, the slack Sea and Baltic General
Insurance Company Ltd., from the British ar Riska
Insurance office in respect of the total loss of the
first two vessels by reason of alleged seizure.
Hitherto, however, the claim has been rejected by the
British war Risks Insurance office in the absence of
documentary evidence of actual seizure and of the steps
taken to obtain the veasels' release. It also appears
that the Coviet Government, who remain, of course, the
owners of the two vessels in question, have been
attempting, though without success, to dispose of them
/locally