2224.
(Secret.)
34
No. 63.
CEYLON.
GOVERNOR SIR H. A. BLAKE TO MR. LYTTELTON.
(Received January 23, 1905.)
[Copy to Foreign Office, February 7, 1905, L. F.]
King's Pavilion, Kandy,
December 29, 1904. SIR,
I HAVE the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your Secret telegram of the 21at instant, referring to my telegram of the 11th instant,t and informing me of certain allegations made by the Russian Government as to the despatch of Japanese sailors from Colombo to Singapore and Bombay on the 11th November last.
2. After careful inquiry, I have been unable to find any foundation whatever for these statements, and, in fact, the actual movements of the steamers referred. to do not agree with the dates mentioned in your telegrain.
3. I accordingly informed you, by telegram, on the 22nd instant, that the steam-ship "Ischia" did not call at Colombo during the month of November, and that the steam- ship "Coromandel " left Colombo for Bombay on the 18th November last, carrying no Japanese.
4. As to the recent arrival of Japanese sailors in Colombo, I informed you, by telegraph, on the 24th instant,§ that one Japanese merchant sailor arrived at Colombo Of from Java on the 6th August last, and four from Java on the 30th September last. these, two left for Port Saïd by steam-ship "Torridge" on the 10th November, and the remaining three still await passages.
I have, &c.
2246.
HENRY A. BLAKE.
1651.
35
No. 64 A.
MR. LYTTELTON TO GOVERNORS OF CERTAIN COLONIES AND PROTECTORATES.
(Circular. Confidential.)
Downing Street, January 23, 1905.
SIR,
WITH reference to my previous General despatches, Secret and Confidential, of the 3rd and 10th December† respecting the application of the rules relative to the supply of coal or other stores to ships of a belligerent fleet, or to vessels accompanying them, I have the honour to transmit to you [for your information] [for the information of your Ministers], the accompanying copy of correspondence‡ respecting the supply of coal at Durban to certain vessels carrying cargoes suspected to be intended for one or other of the hostile fleets.
I have, &c.
ALFRED LYTTELTON.
1536.
No. 65.
COLONIAL OFFICE TO FOREIGN OFFICE AND ADMIRALTY.
(Confidential.)
SIR,
[Answered: see No. 76.]
Downing Street, January 24, 1905. WITH reference to the letter from this Department of the 24th ultimo,§ I am directed by Mr. Secretary Lyttelton to transmit to you, to be laid before the Marquess of Lansdowne,
Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, copies of two despatches|| from the Governor of Natal respecting the treatment at Durban of the French steamer "Espérance," which was suspected of carrying provisions destined for the Russian fleet.
[To Foreign Office only.] I am to add that, with Lord Lansdowne's concurrence, Mr. Lyttelton proposes to approve of Sir H. McCallum's action in this matter.
I am, &c.
FRED. GRAHAM.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Ts. To Te To Te
سلسالسا
Reference :---
0885
9 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
No. 64.
NATAL
GOVERNOR SIR H. E. MCCALLUM TO MR. LYTTELTON.
(Paraphrase.)
(January 22.)
(Received 11:18 A.M., January 23, 1905.)
TELEGRAM.
[Answered by No. 70.]
THE British steam-ships "Aberlour" and "Tapton" have arrived at Durban, and request bunker coal to proceed to Falmouth. The masters acknowledge having supplied cargoes of coal to the Russian fleet; the former from Barry, and the latter from Port Talbot.
Coal being absolute contraband of war, and equipment of war, I conceive that a breach of neutrality has been committed, and that the owners have rendered them- selves liable to the penalties which are prescribed in His Majesty's Proclamation of the 11th of February of last year.
I have given instructions that no bunker coal is to be supplied until I learn whether His Majesty's Government desire that any action should be taken by the Colonial Government on their behalf in the matter.
I shall feel obliged for an early reply to this telegram.
• No. 44.
- † No. 85.
‡ No. 48.
No. 51.
2246.
SIR,
No. 66.
COLONIAL OFFICE TO FOREIGN OFFICE.
[Answered by No. 68.] ·
Downing Street, January 24, 1905.
I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Lyttelton to transmit to you, to be laid before the Marquess of Lansdowne, a paraphrase of a telegramT from the Governor of Natal, respecting an application for bunker coal made at Durban by two steam-ships whose masters acknowledge having supplied cargoes of coal to the Russian fleet.
I am to enquire what answer should, in Lord Lansdowne's opinion, be returned to Sir Henry McCallum.
I am,
&c. FRED. GRAHAM,
• Le., Natal, Cape, St. Helena, Gold Coast, Lagos, Sierra Leone, Gambia, Southern Nigeria, Malta, Gibraltar, Cyprus, Mauritius, Seychelles, Ceylon, Straits Settlements, Hong Kong, Weihaiwei, Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, and Labuan.
† Nos. 26 and 84▲.
‡ Nos. 58, 59, 61, and 62.
48171: not printed. It transmitted a copy of No. 50.
Nos. 56 and 57.
No. 64.
[1185]
F 2