48
From Mr. Hesse's reply, a copy of which is also attached, it would appear that the report as to communication being interrupted for twelve days in January has no foundation in fact.
In pursuance, however, of Mr. Lyttelton's suggestion, the Court will cause a copy of your letter to be sent to the Governor of Labuan with a request that he will make a report on the subject.
49
I am to enquire what instructions should, in his Lordship's opinion, be sent either to the Governor of the Cape of Good Hope or to the Governor of Natal, with reference to this vessel.
I
am,
&c.
H. BERTRAM COX.
I am, &c.
HARINGTON G. FORBES,
Secretary.
Enclosure 1 in No. 88.
3575
No. 90.
DEAR SIR,
.February 7, 1905. INFORMATION has reached the Court of Directors that certain allegations have been made to the effect that about the middle of last month telegraphic communication with Labuan was interrupted for twelve days.
I am directed to ask you to be good enough to let me know, for the information of the Court, whether there is any foundation for the report.
F. E. Hesse, Esq., General Manager,
The Eastern Extension, Australasia, and China
Telegraph Company (Limited),
Electra House, Finsbury Pavement, E.C.
DEAR SIR,
Yours, &c.
HARINGTON G. FORBES,
Secretary.
Enclosure 2 in No. 88.
The Eastern Extension, Australasia, and China Telegraph Company (Limited), Electra House, Finsbury Pavement, E.C., February 7, 1905.
In reply to your letter of to-day's date, I have to inform you that the information that has reached your Court of Directors that telegraphic communication with Labuan was interrupted for twelve days last month has no foundation in fact. The Company's cable between Singapore and Labuan was, however, interrupted on the 28th December last, and was repaired by one of the Company's vessels on the 3rd ultimo, a break, due to chafe, being removed 28 knots from Singapore.
The statement (which we believe emanated from a Russian official in Java) that was reported in the Russian paper "Novoe Vremya" a few weeks ago, which was repro- duced in the London daily press, to the effect that the British Cable Company had purposely cut the cable to conceal the fact that the Japanese Fleet had established a naval base at Labuan was, as you probably noticed at the time, contradicted by the "Standard" and "Daily Telegraph."
Yours, &c.
The Secretary,
British North Borneo Company.
4061.
F. E. HESSE,
General Manager.
(Confidential.)
SIR,
COLONIAL OFFICE TO FOREIGN OFFICE.
[Answered by No. 99.]
I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Lyttelton to request you to inform the Marquess
Downing Street, February 8, 1905. of Lansdowne that, in a secret despatch dated the 3rd of January, relative to the instructions issued by this Department as to the supply of coal, &c., to vessels attending the Russian Fleet, the Governor of the Straits Settlements has recorded the despatch of a cypher telegram in the following terms :--
"On the 27th November, I telegraphed suggesting that the Admiral might be instructed to send a man-of-war to Labuan to assist the local authorities there, as there was no officer or force capable to enforce orders, and as it was more probable that any attempt to coal would be made there rather than at Singapore."
As, after enquiry, the receipt of any such telegram could not be traced, the Governor was informed by telegraph that no such message had been received; and a telegram has now been received from Sir J. Anderson, as follows:—
"In reply to your telegram of yesterday's date, my telegram of 27th November apparently miscarried here; did not reach Telegraph Company."
is not clear from this telegram whether Sir J. Anderson wishes the message which miscarried to be still regarded as operative; but in any case it is for the Foreign Office,. in conjunction with the Admiralty, to decide what force may be necessary to ensure the maintenance of neutrality in the waters adjacent to the territories administered by the British North Borneo Company, and I am accordingly to suggest that, if it should appear necessary, the matter might receive consideration in consultation with that Company, to whom the questions raised in Sir C. Hardinge's despatches enclosing an article in the "Novoe Vremya," which you forwarded to this Department on the 25th ultimo,† have been referred by this Office in a letter of which I am to enclose
I am, &c.
a copy.
4596.
(Confidential.)
No. 91.
H. BERTRAM COX.
SIR,
No. 89.
COLONIAL OFFICE TO FOREIGN OFFICE.
[Annwered by No. 97.]
<
Downing Street, February 8, 1905. WITH reference to previous correspondence on the subject of the treatment at Durban of colliers in attendance on the Russian fleet, I am directed by Mr. Secretary Lyttelton to transmit to you, to be laid before the Marquess of Lansdowne, a copy of a further telegram received from Sir H. McCallum, relative to the German vessel "Dacia."
FOREIGN OFFICE TO COLONIAL OFFICE.
(Received February 13, 1905.)
SIR,
I AM directed by the Marquess of Lansdowne to acknowledge the receipt of
Foreign Office, February 10, 1905. your letter of the 6th instant (41638 A, 1904),§ enclosing a paraphrase of a telegram of the 9th December from the Governor of the Straits Settlements with regard to the treatment of colliers in attendance on the Russian fleet,
In reply, I am to acquaint you, for the information of Mr. Secretary Lyttelton, that His Majesty's Consul at Port Saïd was informed on the 7th December that he need not telegraph direct to Ceylon information, concerning colliers, so that, presumably, the information received by the Governor of that Colony has been repeated to him from Aden, with which place Consul Cameron has been in telegraphic communication.
In
• No. 87.
• No. 72. [1185]
↑ No. 69.
‡ No. 85.
5 No. 84.
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