12588.
SIR,
80
No. 138.
NATAL.
GOVERNOR SIR H. E. MCCALLUM TO MR. LYTTELTON.
(Received April 15, 1905.)
[Copy to Foreign Office, April 18, 1905, Canfidential, L. F.] (Secret. No. 1.)
Government House, Pietermaritzburg, Natal,
March 20, 1905.
WITH reference to my telegrams of the 7th March, No. 1, and the 16th March, No. 3, I have the honour to transmit to you copy of guarantee furnished by the master of the steam-ship "William Storrs" that his vessel would proceed direct to Batavia.
2. You will notice that the master asked permission to refill his bunkers from the cargo of the "St. Ninian," a request which I granted.
3. The two vessels, the "Ras Dara" and the "St. Ninian," received instructions from their owners on the 6th instant to sell their cargoes here or at a Cape port, and thereafter proceed to England.
4. I accordingly sanctioned their remaining in harbour until noon on Saturday the 18th instant to effect such sale, and I now beg to report that they have disposed of their cargoes to this Government.
<
12657.
$1
No. 140.
STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.
MR. LYTTELTON TO GOVERNOR SIR J. ANDERSON. (Sent 6:30 P.M., April 17, 1905.)
(Paraphrase.)
TELEGRAM.
[Answered by No. 141.]
•
IT is presumed that you were satisfied, on the evidence before you, that the Hindoostani," the vessel mentioned in your telegram of the 12th instant, was intended to act as a store-ship for the Russian fleet, and in attendance on that fleet. Interfering to prevent ordinary trade, even in contraband, would not be justifiable, and still less so when a vessel was bound with a cargo of coal for a neutral port like Saigon.
I have, &c.
HENRY MCCALLUM,
12795.
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Enclosure in No. 138.
Port Natal,
DEAR SIR,
March 6, 1905. ON permission being granted to my vessel, the steam-ship "William Storrs," to replenish her bunkers from the cargo of the steam-ship "St. Ninian," I guarantee that my said vessel will at once proceed direct from the port of Natal to Batavia, and will not discharge any of her cargo between the above two ports while on the passage.
To
The Port Captain,
12657.
Port Natal,
Yours, &c.
EDWD. M. SMITH,
Master of the
steam-ship "William Storrs," of Newcastle-on-Tyne.
No. 141.
STRAITS SETTLEMENTS.
GOVERNOR SIR J. ANDERSON TO MR. LYTTELTON,
(Received 8.50 A.M., April 18, 1905.)
(Paraphrase.)
TELEGRAM.
[Copy to Foreign Office, April 19, 1905, L. F.]
REFERRING to your telegram of yesterday,† neither the police nor the Japanese Consul could furnish evidence which would justify continued detention, and the Consul would not give guarantee of indemnity. The vessel was therefore released. Since then further evidence has been obtained which shows that detention was fully justified.
See my despatches of the 13th of April and the 18th of April, Confidential.‡
Reference:
885
9 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO'
SIR,
No. 139.
FOREIGN OFFICE TO COLONIAL OFFICE.
(Received April 17, 1905.)
[Answered by L. F. transmitting copy of No. 141.]
Foreign Office,
April 15, 1905. I AM directed by the Marquess of Lansdowne to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 13th instant, respecting the treatment at Singapore of the German steamer "Hindoostani," which has embarked coal for Saigon suspected of being intended for the Russian fleet.
17
was
I am to suggest, for Mr. Secretary Lyttelton's consideration, that the Governor of the Straits Settlements should be informed by telegraph that His Majesty's Government presume that he was satisfied, on the evidence before him, that the Hindoostani intended to act as a store-ship for, and in attendance upon, the Russian fleet, as he no doubt appreciates that he would not be justified in interfering to prevent ordinary trade, even in contraband, and still less with a cargo of coal bound to a neutral port such as Saigon.
I am, &c.
F. A. CAMPBELL.
12901.
No. 142.
HONG KONG.
GOVERNOR SIR M. NATHAN to Mr. LYTTELTON.
(Paraphrase.)
(Received 7.20 P.M., April 18, 1905.)
TELEGRAM.
WITH a view to preventing the coaling of belligerent fleets from this port, I have considered it advisable to direct enforcement, as regards coal, of a Proclamation issued under Ordinance 1 of 1862, of the 17th November.
• No. 136.
↑ No. 140.
No. 160; and 16083: not printed.
• Nos. 124 and 197 A.
↑ No. 187.
[1185]
M