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132

Enclosure 1 in No. 204.

GOVERNOR, Hong Kong, to SECRETARY OF STATE, London.

(June 17, 1905.)

FOLLOWING is summary of manifest of "St. Kilda"

Rice Sugar

Rape Cake

Copra

•

Cotton Rattans Jute

TELEGRAM,

Oils, Medicines, Woodware, Wine, Hay, Old Brass, Old Rope, Malay Camphor, [Chair Covers, Sysaman Seeds, Vermilion Bristles, Cuttlefish, [Old Copper,] [Spelter,] [Matting, [Pepper,]† Old Lead, Sheeting, Fruits, Hides, Putty, Samples and other Sundry Merchandise not specified

Total

"

38,462 bags.

1,641 9,179 132

"

1,988 bales

402 249 1

+3

26616.

133

No. 205.

HONG KONG.

GOVERNOR SIR M. NATHAN TO MR. LYTTELTON.

(Received 11:43 A.M., July 28, 1905.)

TELEGRAM.

In reply to your telegram of yesterday's date, Postmaster-General has no information in addition to that in my confidential despatch of the 24th June.t

26638.

589 package..

52,742 packages.

No. 206.

FOREIGN OFFICE TO COLONIAL OFFICE. (Received July 29, 1905.)

[Answered by No. 213.]

Foreign Office,

SIR,

Enclosure 3 in No. 204.

Hong Kong, June 21, 1905.

We have the honour to inform you that we have to-day received a letter from the late master of the British steamer "St. Kilda," definitely confirming that the said steamer was sunk by the Russian cruiser "Dnieper," under circumstances with which we believe His Majesty's Government to be already cognizant.

We therefore petition that his Excellency the Governor will be pleased to accept the present as a formal protest against the Russian Government, against the sinking of the said steamer, and that his Excellency will take whatever steps that necessary to lodge a complaint in the proper quarter, with a view to subsequently recovering damages from the Russian Government.

SIR,

July 28, 1905. WITH reference to your letter of the 27th ultimo,‡ relating to the sinking of the steamship "St. Kilda," in which it is stated by the Governor of Hong Kong that claims will be put forward on behalf of local interests in the vessel, I am directed by the Marquess of Lansdowne to state that the owners' claim has now been received, and will be presented to the Russian Government at an early date.

I am to suggest, for Mr. Secretary Lyttelton's consideration, that the Governor should be requested to endeavour to hasten the preparation of the claims of

in persons the Colony who were interested in the "St. Kilda," in order that there may be no undue delay in forwarding them to His Majesty's Ambassador at St. Petersburgh,

may

be

27209.

We would further beg to inform his Excellency that we are formulating a claim for losses and damages sustained by shippers of cargo, and by ourselves as charterers of the steamer, and for any other losses or damages as may appear, and we would beg leave to submit same through His Majesty's Government.

It is impossible at present to form any very accurate idea as to the probable amount of the claim which we propose to submit, as the interests involved are very variously and widely distributed, and, we believe, are partly underwritten in India and in the United Kingdom, but as regards this Colony and the interests represented through us, we expect same will amount to a very substantial sum.

We would therefore beg his Excellency the Governor to telegraph to His Majesty's Imperial Home Government, advising that a claim will be submitted from Hong Kong, which will be in addition to any other claim or claims which may be submitted from other quarters.

The Honourable,

The Colonial Secretary,

Hong Kong.

We have, &c.

BRADLEY AND Co.

• Entered as chain in original telegram.

↑ There words do not appear in the original telegram.

(Secret.)

No. 207.

HONG KONG.

I am, &c.

F. H. VILLIERS.

GOVERNOR SIR M. NATHAN TO MR. LYTTELTON. (Received July 31, 1905.)

[Copy to Foreign Office, August 12, 1905, L. F.]

Government House,

June 30, 1905.

SIR,

In continuation of my Secret despatches of the 4th and 20th April, 5th and 19th May, and 2nd June, 1905,§ on the subject of colliers taking in coal at a British port, &c., I have the honour to transmit herewith a list received from Mr. J. L. O'Connell, His Britannic Majesty's Vice-Consul at Saigon, giving the dates of arrival on the coast of Indo-China, and the subsequent movements, of the various colliers and store-ships that were in attendance on the belligerent fleet that left that coast on or about the 14th ultimo.

2. As the list confirms the report made to you in my last despatch, that the German steam-ship "Syfang" had attended a belligerent as a collier in contravention of the assurance given by its master to the collector of His Majesty's Customs at Cardiff I sent you yesterday the telegram of which an en clair version is attached.

• No. 202.

† No. 203.

Nos. 159, 171, 176, 185, and 194.

L. F. transmitting copy of No. 187.

No. 194.

¶ No. 190.

4.

PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

Reference :-

་། ༣། ༅། ། ། ། muimmim C.0, 885

9 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON

ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-

COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO

134

3. The list supplies further evidence of breaches by the German steam-ship "Poschan

and British steam-ship "Westminster Bridge" of the Foreign Enlistment Act. With regard to the first of these vessels, I await any instructions you may send me in accordance with paragraph 10 (ii) of my despatch of the 2nd June.* With regard to the second, I am informed by Mr. O'Connell that the vessel was transferred to the German flag on the 5th May, in compliance with telegraphic instructions from the Board of Trade. Her present name is the "Cicilia," and I am on the look out for the return of her master to this port, in order to prosecute him for sailing to a different port than that for which he cleared.

4. The British ships in the Vice-Consul's list, in addition to the "Westminster Bridge," are the "William Storres," "Zambesi," "Sultana," and "Sutherland." None of these have been at Hong Kong during the current year.

5. The ships in the Vice-Consul's list in addition to the "Westminster Bridge" that are shown as having arrived in Indo-China from Hong Kong are the "Tsimo," the "Florida," the "Erna," the "Byglia," and the "Neumuhlen." The "Tsimo and Byglia" did not, however, put in here on their way to Saigon. The “ Florida," as you are aware, was allowed to clear for Saigon in ballast, and was, no doubt, intended to be used for transporting stores accumulated at Saigon to a belligerent fleet in one of the bays to the north. The "Erna" arrived at Hong Kong on the 17th March last from Bremerhaven and Colombo, with 1,260 tons of flour, and consigned to Messrs. Jebsen and Co. She cleared on the 13th May for Saigon in ballast, being, no doubt, intended for the same employment as suggested in the case of the "Florida." The Neumuhlen," which cleared from Hong Kong in ballast for Singapore, on the 20th May, apparently went to Saigon instead, and I am directing the attention of the Harbour-master to this, with a view to the prosecution of the master when, and if, he returns here.

"

6. The "Hindoo and "Shahzada" which are shown on the list as having cleared from Indo-China for Hong Kong on the 27th April and 9th May respectively, have not called here since those dates.

I have, &c.