ןזד
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
Reference :-
6
C.O. 885
9 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
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identified by the correspondent of the "Hong Kong Daily Press" who, on the 13th May, counted fifteen colliers at anchor at Cape St. James, and three a little way up the river. As recently as the 21st May, some sixty colliers and store-ships were reported to be in this neighbourhood.
8. The only other incidents of importance and not already referred to, connected with the attempted use of Hong Kong in connection with the operations of belligerent fleets, were two protests from the two representative Consuls that torpedo-boats in sections were being carried by ships in the harbour. It was alleged by the one Consul that the steam-ship "Heathbank," which came here a short time ago from Amoy, with a cargo of coal on fire, was carrying such sections for the Baltic Fleet. On the cargo being discharged, it was evident that the allegation was unfounded, and the vessel was allowed to clear in ballast for Flongay on the 29th May. The other Consul had received an intimation that the steam-ship Monmouthshire" from London contained similar contraband for Japan. Though Ì was doubtful whether the carriage from this port of torpedo-boats in parts could be deemed the despatch from this port of ships to be employed in the naval service of a foreign State at war with a friendly State, I caused enquiries to be made, and satisfied myself, and I think also the Consul, that the "Monmouthshire carried no such cargo. This vessel cleared for Japanese ports on the 25th May.
13
46
9. As far as I can judge, though it was not for some time afterwards that I was able to be at all certain of the matter, the belligerent fleet which had been on the coast of Indo-China from the 13th or 14th April finally left that coast on the 14th May. The operations of the 27th and 28th of that month, in which this fleet was practically annihilated, terminated, at any rate for the present, the phase of the Russo-Japanese War in which attempts by vessels of, or attendant on, either the rival fleets to make use of the port of Hong Kong were to be expected.
10. It now remains to consider what, if any, action should be taken with reference to ships that have infringed either the Foreign Enlistment Act or local Regulations.
(i.) It will be for His Majesty's Government to deal, should they consider desirable, with the person who despatched from Barry Dock the "Syfang," owned by Messrs. Diedrichsen, Jebsen and Co., of Hamburg, carrying 4,000 tons of coal nominally to Hong Kong but actually to Indo-China, where there are reasonable grounds for believing that she was in attendance on a belligerent fleet. Should I receive further information with regard to this vessel, I shall telegraph it to you.
(ii) The case of the "Poschan," which loaded with 4,200 tons of coal at this port, cleared on the 6th April, called at Batavia for orders on the 19th April, left there on the 20th in a northerly direction, and was reported as having been seen in the Saigon River on the 13th May loading coal from another collier, having apparently in the interval discharged the coal she took from Hong Kong, is the one in which a prosecu- tion of the agents here, Messrs. Jebsen and Co., under the Foreign Enlistment Act would be most justified. I am advised, however, by the Attorney-General that it would be difficult to secure sufficiently complete evidence to make certain of such a prosecn- tion being successful, and for the reasons given in the first paragraph of my despatch of the 5th May," I shall not, unless you telegraph to me that you consider it advisable, institute proceedings. I shall, however, obtain any further evidence that I can.
(iii.) The case of the British steam-ship "Westminster Bridge" has not previously been reported to you in detail, though the vessel was shown in the Table accompanying my despatch of the 19th May, as having been seen by the correspondent of the "South China Morning Post" on the 29th April, e.npty at Cape St. James after discharging at Kamranh Bay. This vessel, owned by the Bridge Steam Shipping Company, of which Messrs. Dodwell and Co. are the agents here, left Barry Dock with a cargo of 4,100 tons of Welsh coal on the 10th November last, called at Colombo on the 13th February, and arrived at Iong Kong 13th March. She stayed here while repairs to a broken crank- shaft were being effected till the 6th April, where she cleared for Shanghae. When and if she returns here her master will be dealt with for sailing to a different port to that for which she cleared. I am doubtful whether sufficiently complete evidence can be obtained to give reasonable certainty that a prosecution of Messrs. Dodwell and Co. under the Foreign Enlistment Act would be successful.
(iv.) The "Tolosan," "Florida," and "Wik infringement of the Act.
were successfully restrained from any
(v.) The "Neunuchlen" and "Forsteck," though they were no doubt in attendance on a belligerent fleet, were not despatched for the purpose from this port.
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11. By taking advantage of the Proclamation under the Ordinance of 1862, to prevent any vessel leaving here with coal without an express permit, and by threats of action under the Foreign Enlistment Act, the use of this port in connection with the coaling of belligerent vessels, has been, if not absolutely stopped, reduced to an insignificant extent. I trust the methods I have adopted will meet with your approval, and I thank you for the freedom of action which you have left me in this somewhat delicate matter.
12. The advice of Mr. E. II. Sharp, K.C., who, until the 24th ultimo, was Acting Attorney-General, was of the greatest assistance to me in dealing with the various cases that arose.
Enclosure in No. 194.
I have, &c.
M. NATHAN,
Governor.
COLLIERS, &c., attending on Belligerent Fleet in INDO-CHINA, May 13, 1905. (Reported by CAPTAIN JACKSON of steam-ship "Laertes.")
Allamanis
Bourbon
Cecilia
Chopchop
Flilda Florn
Name of Ship.
B::::
Milos (cargo on fire)
..
Nationality.
Norwegian
French
Remarks.
1. At Nhabie (Quarantine Station, Saigon River).
German..
Discharging into "Westminster
Bridge."
Loading stores. Loading into
Bridge." Loaded.
:::
11
"Westminster
Discharging into "Poschan,"
Coarden (? Caarden) Carlylo
Russian.. German..
British
Light.
German
Coal loaded.
11
Loaded.
1
Part loaded.
Coal loaded.
"
Russian.
German
British
Hindoo
Lanschan
Mecklenburg..
Neptun
Poschan
Russia Trimo Tertia William Stours
Caledonia Hornstein Heinrich
Ania.. Chemnitz Hersilia Horusburg
Hana Menzell..
Irmgard Horn Ingrid Horn Jupiter Macedonia Pina.. Prima Syfaug
Loading from "Milos." Loaded.
Coal loaded.
Nearly discharged.
2. Inside Cocoanut Bay (up the Suigon River).
:::
:::::::::::
Danish
German.
??
3. At Cape St. James.
German..
Loaded.
"
Loaded.
*
"
"
11
*
19
"
"
+
11
體
Totti
1
19
79
Vesta
Westmoreland Woglende
"1
British
German..
• No. 176.
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