CO885-(23-24) — Page 19

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

། 「༔། |

Reference:

C.O. 885

32

6. As regards the financial position of the Bureau of Entomology, it should be stated that the Indian Government, which had not arrived at a definite decision in the matter when the Bureau was started, has now determined to avail itself of the facilities afforded by this organisation, and to contribute on the same scale as the The expenses of the Bureau are thus Imperial Government, viz., £500 per annum. guaranteed for a period of three years in varying amounts by every part of the Empire (with the exception of the Tropical African Colonies and Protectorates, which have so far been treated separately) ranging from sums of £500 from the Imperial Government, Canada, and India, to £5 from the smallest West Indian Islands, and, judging by the unanimous approval with which it has met from the contributing Governments, there seems to be no reason whatever to suppose that the contributions which have been promised for three years will not be renewed at the end of that period by all the Colonial administrations.

29862

SIR,

No. 32.

I am, &c.,

G. V. FIDDES.

COLONIAL OFFICE to THE AGENTS-GENERAL.

(Queensland.)

(New South Wales.) (Tasmania.)

[Answered by No. 36.]

(Victoria.)

(South Australia.) (Western Australia.)

Downing Street, 3 September, 1913. WITH reference to the letter from this Department of the [to Queensland only: 28th of March*][31st of March†] last, relating to the representation of Austra lian interests on the Managing Committee of the Imperial Bureau of Entomology, I am directed by Mr. Secretary Harcourt to inform you that all the Australian State Governments have now expressed their concurrence in the suggestion [to Queensland only: which you made] [made by the Agent-General for Queensland] viz., that one of the six Agents-General should be invited to attend the meetings of the Committee, it being a matter for mutual arrangement between the Agents- General which one of them should attend any particular meeting.

2. I am to request that you will take an early opportunity of discussing this matter with the other Agents-General, to whom a letter is being addressed in similar terms, and that the arrangements which it is proposed should be made may be communicated to me for the information of the Committee.

I am, &c.,

30984

No. 33.

FOREIGN OFFICE to COLONIAL OFFICE. (Received 5 September, 1913.)

H. W. JUST.

The Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs presents his compliments to the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies, and, by direction of the Secretary of State, transmits herewith copy of a despatch to His Majesty's representatives at Paris, Berlin, Tokio, Washington, The Hague, dated August 29th, respecting the distribution of mosquitoes in various countries.

Reference to previous letter: Colonial Office, August 25 (26678/1913). Foreign Office,

September 4th, 1913.

• No. 140 in Miscellaneous No. 271.

↑ L.F. transmitting copies of No. 139 in Miscellaneous No. 271.

(No. 182. Commercial.) (No. 108. Commercial.) (No. 105.)

33.

Enclosure in No. 33.

(No. 158. Commercial.) (No. 55. Commercial.)

SIR,

Foreign Office, 29th August, 1913. I HAVE to inform [Your Excellency] [you] that the Managing Committee of the Imperial Bureau of Entomology have had under their consideration the question of obtaining full information as to the distribution of Stegomyia fasciata in Eastern ports.

Major S. P. James, Indian Medical Service, in a recent report on the protection of India from yellow fever in connexion with the opening of the Panama Canal, has pointed out how important it is to obtain trustworthy information on the subject. It appears from his report that there is very little or no knowledge, not only of a sure method of diagnosing yellow fever, but also of the presence or absence and distribution of Stegomyia fasciata in Eastern ports, of the problem whether the very widely distributed and abundant species Stegomyia scutellaris carries the disease or not, of the bionomics of those species, and of many other matters of prime importance affecting the etiology and prevention of yellow fever. Consequently, should occasion arise to deal with an irruption of yellow fever in a new territory, this want of knowledge would greatly hamper and delay efficient and enlightened administrative action.

The Bureau of Entomology, recognizing the importance of the subject, has undertaken to collect information as to the distribution of stegomyia in the countries which are likely to provide ports of call for vessels plying between Panama and India. As a preliminary measure, the Committee have asked that the Bureau may be furnished (1) with all information available as to the distribution of mos- quitoes generally, and of stegomyia in particular, in the French, German, Japanese. American, and Dutch possessions in the Far East and the Pacific, and (2) with collections of mosquitoes from these localities, so that the question of sending out an entomologist specially to collect information in those places from which none can now be obtained may be considered at a later date in the light of the knowledge thus gained.

I therefore request that [Your Excellency] [you] will endeavour to obtain from the Government to which you are accredited all the information available as to the distribution of mosquitoes, and in particular of stegomyia, in their territories in the Far East and in the Pacific, and that you will invite them to send collections of mosquitoes to the Director of the Bureau at the British Museum (Natural History), Cromwell Road, London, S.W. Their interest will, it is hoped, be easily enlisted in this enquiry when its importance is impressed upon them, seeing that all these countries will be vitally concerned in the prevention of the introduction and spread of yellow fever in their possessions in the East. The Bureau will, of course, be prepared to supply foreign Governments, in return, with a summary of all the information which is obtained, and any collections of mosquitoes forwarded to the Bureau from foreign countries will be identified, and named specimens returned, if desired, for the use of the collector and for the Medical or other Departments to which they would be of value.

His Majesty's Ambassadors at

26104

Paris, Berlin, Tokio, Washington,

His Majesty's Minister at The Hague.

I am, &c.

E. GREY.

No. 34. ZANZIBAR.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE to THE ACTING BRITISH AGENT AND CONSUL-GENERAL.

Downing Street, 5 September, 1913.

I HAVE the honour to inform you that I have had under my consideration the

(No. 241.)

SIR,

‡ No. 28.

83518

]

C

23 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC- COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

1