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31980

SIR,

No..31.

BOARD OF TRADE to COLONIAL OFFICE.

་

(Received September 13, 1904.)

[See No. 35.]

Board of Trade (Finance and General Department),

7, Whitehall Gardens, London, S.W., September 12, 1904.

I AM directed by the Board of Trade to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 8th current,* transmitting copies of further correspondence regarding the case of the "Inkum.”

The Board agree with Mr. Secretary Lyttelton in thinking that the full report of the Governor of Hong Kong upon this matter should now be awaited.

31662

GENTLEMEN,

No. 32.

I have, &c.,

HERBERT JEKYLL.

COLONIAL OFFICE to J. H. WELSFORD & CO., LTD.

[Copy to Governor, September 14, 1904, No. 272. L.F.)

Downing Street, September 12, 1904.

I AM directed by Mr. Secretary Lyttelton to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 9th instant† and to inform you that a telegram has been sent to the Governor of Hong Kong stating that all questions of expenses incurred in connection with the S.S. "Inkum" will be adjusted in this country and asking him to send home full accounts and a report on the circumstances of the case.

2. Pending the receipt of this report Mr. Lyttelton is not in a position to offer any observations on the statements made in your letter.

31662

No. 33.

I am, &c.,

C. P. LUCAS.

COLONIAL OFFICE to BOARD OF TRADE,

Downing Street, September 12, 1904.

SIR,

IN continuation of the letter from this Department of the 8th instant* I am directed by Mr. Secretary Lyttelton to transmit to you the enclosed copies of further correspondence on the subject of the S.S. "Inkum."

2. Sir M. Nathan has been informed, in reply to his despatch, that Mr. Lyttelton will await the arrival of his full report before expressing any opinion on the matter.

I am, &c.,

C. P. LUCAS.

• No. 26.

† No. 28.

Nos. 23, 27, 28, 30, and 32.

§ No. 27.

No. 34.

GOVERNOR SIR M. NATHAN to MR. LYTTELTON.

(Confidential.)

SIR,

(Received October 8, 1904.)

Government House, Hong Kong, September 9, 1904. IN continuation of my despatch, No. 308, dated the 3rd August, 1904,* and with reference to the subsequent telegraphic correspondence on the subject of the crew of the S.S. "Inkum," of which I enclose copies for convenience of reference, I have the honour to furnish, for your information, the following fuller report on the incident, and to express regret at the trouble caused in the matter.

2. The vessel called at Hong Kong on the 17th July for orders, which were to the effect that she was to proceed to Japan and discharge her cargo of coal at Sasebo for the Japanese Government. On the following day the master reported to the harbour master that the whole of the crew (30 in all) refused to proceed to Japan on the ground that coal having been declared contraband by Russia they were not prepared to risk any consequences that might ensue, The harbour master interviewed the men, who informed him that they had been kept in complete ignorance that they were expected to take part in such a venture, and that there was no reference to it on) the articles they signed.

3. After satisfying himself by examination of the agreements that the men's statement was correct, the harbour master endeavoured to persuade them to proceed; four men agreed to do so, 26 persisted in their refusal.

The harbour master then informed the master that he could not, under the cir- cumstances, compel the men to proceed or punish them for not doing so. The master next telegraphed to the vessel's owners for instructions, and received a reply in due course that he was to engage legal assistance. This he did, and it is understood that Mr. Pollock, K.C., advised that the men should be offered a bonus to proceed, failing which they should be left at Hong Kong until the vessel's return. The men refused a bonus, and the master, by permission of the harbour master, quartered the men in the Sailors' Home, the Agents for the vessel guaranteeing the payment of the men's expenses at the home pending the return of the vessel, when they were to reship. They were still on articles."

4. After shipping a Chinese crew the "Inkum" left for Japan on the 24th July, having been delayed in consequence of the parties concerned not coming to a speedy settlement of the question for six days.

She returned to Hong Kong on the 27th August, and was put under charter for conveying Chinese coolies to South Africa. On the 3rd September the decision was come to that the British crew were to be sent home as distressed British seamen, and the harbour master was so instructed. Owing, however to the master having been notified that the owners would not confirm his arrangements with regard to paying for the men at the Sailors' Home, and to the men not having claimed dismissal nor signed off their articles, the harbour master arranged with the master that they should temporarily return to the ship. This appears to me to have been a mistake, and no doubt gave rise to the statement made to you by the owners that they had received a telegram to the effect that the Hong Kong Government insisted on the men returning on the "Inkum" instead of being repatriated as distressed British subjects. I annex copies of the actual telegram that was sent, and of the reply that was received by the Agents here, of which they were good enough to furnish me with the contents.

5. On receipt on the 7th of your telegram of the 8th instant,t I interviewed the harbour master, the master of the "Inkum" (Captain E. S. Pearse), and a repre- sentative of the Agents (now Messrs. Gibb, Livingston, & Co.), and we came to the following arrangements:-

(1.) The men to be put back in the Sailors' Home, and be kept there until they can be sent to England as distressed British seamen, or, in view of the length of time-

• No. 27.

† No. 17.

1.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

C.O. 882

8

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

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