29960
9
No. 18.
SIR,
No. 16.
COLONIAL OFFICE to TREASURY.
[Answered by No. 26.]
Downing Street, August 25, 1904. I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Lyttelton to request you to inform the Lords Commissioners of the Treasury that the Marquess of Lansdowne has decided that the officers and men of the Russian destroyer "Burni," which was wrecked near Weihaiwei, should be interned in British territory until the conclusion of the Russo-Japanese war.
2. The interned men are at present on board the Admiralty receiving ship "Tamar" at Hong Kong, but the Admiralty have intimated that this arrangement can only be regarded as temporary, and Mr. Lyttelton considers that it would be best, if the “Tamar cannot be spared for the purpose, to intern them on land at Hong Kong.
"1
3. Mr. Lyttelton has been in communication with the Foreign Office as to the manner in which the Russian officers and men should be treated, and as to the incidence of the cost of their internment. A copy of a letter from the Foreign Office, dated 23rd August,* and of the reply,† are enclosed, and I am to request that the Lords Commissioners may be moved to state whether they concur in the draft telegram to Hong Kong and to give their sanction for the expenditure by the Hong Kong Government, on behalf of His Majesty's Government, of such sums as the Governor may consider reasonable. Such sums will, Mr. Lyttelton presumes, be recovered from the Russian Government by the Foreign Office.
80084
No. 17.
I am, &c.,
C. P. LUCAS.
SIR,
COLONIAL OFFICE to ADMIRALTY.
Downing Street, August 26, 1904. I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Lyttelton to acknowledge the receipt of your letters of the 22nd and of the 24th of August* with regard to the internment of the officers and men of the Russian destroyer "Burni," and to request you to inform the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty that arrangements will be made as soon as possible for interning them on shore at Hong Kong.
Copies of correspondence† on the subject with the Foreign Office and Treasury are enclosed.
30198
No. 19.
I am, &c.,
C. P. LUCAS.
FOREIGN OFFICE to COLONIAL OFFICE. (Received August 27, 1904.)
[Copy to War Office, August 30, 1904. Confidential. L.F.] (Confidential.)
SIR,
Foreign Office, August 26, 1904. WITH reference to your letter, 29548, confidential, of the 23rd instant, ‡ respecting the disposal of the officers and crew of the Russian destroyer "Burni, I am directed by the Marquess of Lansdowne to state to you, for the information of the Secretary of State for the Colonies, that a request has been received from the Russian Government that the officers and men in question may be sent back to Russia.
I
A telegram, of which a copy is enclosed, has consequently been addressed to His Majesty's Minister at Tokyo, requesting further information as to the objection of the Japanese Government to their repatriation.
A suggestion has been made to the Admiralty that the Russian officers and seamen should be detained on board H.M.S. "Tamar" pending a decision as to their ultimate disposal.
(Confidential.)
WAR OFFICE to COLONIAL OFFICE.
(Received August 26, 1904.)
[Answered by No. 20.]
SIR,
War Office, London, S.W., August 26, 1904. WITH reference to the internment of the officers and crew of the Russian destroyer "Burni," Mr. Secretary Lyttelton, in his telegran. of the 19th August, 1904, directed the Governor, Hong Kong, to arrange for the internment at Hong Kong. The Army Council, in their letter of the 19th August,§ concurred in the internment at that station.
2. The (Naval) Commander-in-Chief in a telegram dated Weihaiwei, August 23rd, suggests the removal of the Russians to Colombo, or other place, further from the seat of war. I am commanded by the Army Council to enquire whether the original intention of internment at Hong Kong is to be adhered to, or, if not, at what place it is proposed that military arrangements should be made.
I am, &c.,
R. H. BRADE.
Enclosure in No. 19.
1 am, &c.,
F. A. CAMPBELL.
To Sir C. MACDONALD, Tokyo.
(Sent August 24, 1904, 1.20 p.m.)
No. 115. Confidential.
of crew of " Burni "].
TELEGRAM.
Your telegram No. 221 [of August 16. Internment
Arrangements have been made for interning officers and men at Hong Kong. Russian Government have now asked that they may be sent back to St. l'etersburg.
If we refuse it will be necessary to give some reason for departing from precedent in "Variag" case.
• No. 13.
↑ No. 15.
‡ No. 8.
§ No. 7.
Enclosure in No. 14.
• Nos. 12 and 14.
20111
↑ Nos. 13, 15 and 16.
L.F. transmitting copy of No. 12.
B
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :—
TILLEC.O. 882
8 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TOPage 301
10
Have Japanese Government any evidence which they can communicate to us of crew of latter having broken parole?
What are other reasons alluded to by Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs for insisting upon internment?
30084
No. 20.
COLONIAL OFFICE to WAR OFFICE.
SIR,
Downing Street, August 27, 1904. I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Lyttelton to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 26th of August,* with regard to the internment of the officers and men of the Russian destroyer "Burni," and to request you to inform the Army Council that the alteration of the decision to intern them at Hong Kong is not contemplated. I am to take this opportunity of transmitting a copy of a lettert which has been addressed to the Foreign Office with regard to the measures to be adopted for the internment.
I am, &c.,
11
from the Russian Government for the repatriation of the officers and crew of the Russian destroyer "Burni."
2. With regard to Lord Lansdowne's suggestion that, pending the decision as to their repatriation, the Russian officers and seamen should remain on board the Tamar," my Lords desire me to state that they will offer no objection to this arrangement, on the understanding that it is only adopted temporarily, and that, if it be decided not to send the officers and crew back to Russia, the naval authorities will be at once relieved of their presence in the "Tamar."
3. A copy of this letter has been sent to the Colonial Office and War Office.
I am, &c.,
The Under-Secretary of State,
Foreign Office.
30321
No. 23.
C. I. THOMAS.
30321
No. 21.
C. P. LUCAS.
GOVERNOR SIR M. NATHAN to MR. LYTTELTON. (Received 9.3 a.m., August 29, 1904.)
TELEGRAM.
[Answered by No. 28.]
Have I authority to release on parole within the island of Hong Kong four naval officers from Russian man-of-war “Burni," under conditions that would be sufficient, in my opinion, to prevent them obtaining information of Colonial defences?
SIR,
COLONIAL OFFICE to FOREIGN OFFICE.
[Answered by No. 27.]
Downing Street, August 30, 1904. WITH reference to the letter from this Department of the 25th instant,* with regard to the arrangements to be made with regard to the Russian officers and men from the "Burni," I am directed by Mr. Secretary Lyttelton to transmit to you a copy of a telegramt from the Governor of Hong Kong asking whether four officers may be released on parole within the island of Hong Kong.
I am to enquire what reply should, in the opinion of the Marquess of Lansdowne, be returned to Sir M. Nathan.
I am, &c.,
C. P. LUCAS.
30573
No. 24.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
C.O. 882
8
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
‡ No. 13.
вз
30476
(Confidential.)
No. 22.
ADMIRALTY to COLONIAL OFFICE. (Received August 30, 1904.)
SIR,
Admiralty, August 29, 1904. Wrru reference to previous correspondence relative to the internment of the officers' and crew of the Russian torpedo boat destroyer "Burni,” I am commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to enclose, for the information of Mr. Secretary Lyttelton, a copy of a letter of to-day's date on this subject which has been addressed to the Foreign Office.
I am, &c.,
(Confidential.)
Enclosure in No. 22.
C. I. THOMAS.
SIR,
August 29, 1904. I am commanded by my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to acknow- ledge the receipt of your letter of the 26th instant, relative to the request received
(Confidential.)
SIR,
FOREIGN OFFICE to COLONIAL OFFICE.
(Received August 31, 1904.)
[See No. 29.]
Foreign Office, August 31, 1904. WITH reference to the letter from this office of the 21st [? 23rd] instant,‡ I am directed by the Marquess of Lansdowne to transmit to you, to be laid before the Secretary of State for the Colonies, a copy of a telegram from His Majesty's Minister at Tokyo respecting the disposal of the officers and crew of the Russian destroyer "Burni."
It will be observed that the Japanese Government disclaim any right to demand that the prisoners should be interned until the end of the war, but Lord Lansdowne is advised that such a request would be in accordance with their rights as belli- gerents and could not properly be refused.
The Russian Ambassador has accordingly been privately informed that the officers and men will be interned in British territory until the conclusion of hostilities.
A copy of Sir C. MacDonald's telegram has been sent to the Admiralty.
• No. 17.
† No. 15.
• No. 15.
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