This Document is the Property of Her Britannic Majesty's Government.]
0.0. 24976
CHINA TRADE.
CONFIDENTIAL.
No. 1.
[August 31. REC'D
16 SEP 39
SECTION 2.
520
Consul Mansfield to the Marquess of Salisbury.-(Received August 31.)
(No. 7.)
Canton, July 26, 1899.
My Lord,
I HAVE the honour to inclose copies of a despatch, with its inclosures, which I have addressed to Her Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires at Peking with regard to the prevalence of piracy and armed robbery in the Province of Kuangtung.
I have, &c. (Signed)
R. W. MANSFIELD.
Sir,
Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
Consul Mansfield to Mr. Bax-Ironside,
Canton, July 26, 1899.
I REGRET to have again to bring to your notice the ever-increasing piracy and robbery going on in this province. Since the case of the piracy of the British steamer "Wo-On" on the 23rd May, there have been brought to my notice two cases where tea-leaf on its way to the Macao market was stopped and held for a heavy ransom, and one case where two boats containing piece-goods belonging to a British merchant were stopped in the open river near Talu Hing, and detained with a demand for 250 taels blackmail.
On the 19th instant, a band of pirates seized a Chinese launch plying under the Inland Waters Regulations, and the following day attacked the large Portuguese launch "Taiping" near Kongmoon. They fired on her and then boarded, shooting the Portuguese in charge, who is now lying in a critical state.
On the 22nd instant, a British-owned lorcha, the "Quemoy," returning from Canton to Hong Kong in ballast, was attacked by ten armed pirates in a boat, fired on, boarded, and completely cleaned out of everything to the value of some 600 dollars.
On the 31st January last, I reported that between that date and the 7th November, since the 31st January 1898, the native papers had given accounts of 47 piracies.
38 piracies, 5 cases of blackmail, and 184 cases of armed robbery are reported in the native press, and these are probably only a tithe of what have actually occurred, for in most cases, the sufferers are afraid to speak for fear of reprisals. Blackmail is being levied by robbers all over the country, and trade is falling off seriously. The matting dealers in the silk districts have raised their prices 20 cents a roll to cover this levy.
In the silk districts, the dealers are in the habit of collecting the cocoons from the small producers, in order to bring them to Canton. Bands of armed robbers visit the cocoon godowns and filatures, and demand blackmail, failing the payment of which the goods are carried off. To such a pitch has this reached that the Chinese dealers are threatening to stop the trade altogether, and, as an actual fact, contracts for the delivery of silk to foreign merchants are not being carried out to a very great extent. The enormous silk trade from this port, which has till lately been flourishing to an incredible extent, is threatened with dislocation, and I have exhausted all my powers of argument in trying to induce the Viceroy to take some radical steps.
A proposal of mine to place an adequate force of the old torpedo boats at Whampoa, and of drilled men in charge of a very suitable British subject, for a campaign against the robbers and pirates, which proposal was being favourably entertained by the Viceroy, has fallen through owing to the jealousy of a German subject employed in the Torpedo Department at Whampoa, who was backed up by his Consul. Life and property are no longer safe in this district, and if the important trade of this wealthy province is not to be eventually completely ruined, I see no other alternative than that the British Government should undertake what the Chinese authorities either will not or cannot do. The robbers and pirates are numbered by thousands already, and, encouraged by impunity, are daily enlisting more recruits. I understand that the neighbouring Province of Kuangsi is suffering in a similar manner, and any scheme for the regeneration of Kuangtung should include it.
[2095 p-2]
:
This Document is the Property of Her Britannic Majesty's Government.]-
0.0. 24976
CHINA TRADE.
CONFIDENTIAL.
No. 1.
[August 31.TREC
R2 16 SEP 39
SECTION 2.
520
Consul Mansfield to the Marquess of Salisbury.-(Received August 31.)
(No. 7.)
Canton, July 26, 1899. My Lord,
I HAVE the honour to inclose copies of a despatch, with its inclosures, which I have addressed to Her Majesty's Chargé d'Affaires at Peking with regard to the prevalence of piracy and armed robbery in the Province of Kuangtung.
I have, &c. (Signed)
R. W. MANSFIELD.
Sir,
Inclosure 1 in No. 1.
Consul Mansfield to Mr. Bax-Ironside,
Canton, July 26, 1899. I REGRET to have again to bring to your notice the ever increasing piracy and robbery going on in this province. Since the case of the piracy of the British steamer Wo-On" on the 23rd May there have been brought to my notice two cases where tea-leaf on its way to the Macao market was stopped and held for a heavy ransom, and one case where two boats containing piece-goods belonging to a British merchant were stopped in the open river near Talu Hing, and detained with a demand for 250 taels blackmail.
On the 19th instant a band of pirates seized a Chinese launch plying under the Inland Waters Regulations, and the following day attacked the large Portuguese launch "Taiping" near Kongmoon. They fired on her and then boarded, shooting the Portuguese in charge, who is now lying in a critical state.
On the 22nd instant a British-owned lorcha, the "Quemoy," returning from Canton to Hong Kong in ballast, was attacked by ten armed pirates in a boat, fired on, boarded, and completely cleaned out of everything to the value of some 600 dollars.
On the 31st January last I reported that between that date and the 7th November, Since the 31st January 1898, the native papers had given accounts of 47 piracies.
38 piracies, 5 cases of blackmail, and 184 cases of armed robbery are reported in the native press, and these are probably only a tithe of what have actually occurred, for in most cases the sufferers are afraid to speak for fear of reprisals. Blackmail is being levied by robbers all over the country, and trade is falling off seriously. The matting dealers in In the silk one district have raised their prices 20 c. a roll to cover this levy. districts the dealers are in the habit of collecting the cocoons from the small producers, in order to bring them to Canton. Bands of armed robbers visit the cocoon godowns and filatures, and demand blackmail, failing the payment of which the goods are carried off. To such a pitch has this reached that the Chinese dealers are threatening to stop the trade altogether, and, as an actual fact, contracts for the delivery of silk to foreign merchants are not being carried out to a very great extent. The enormous silk trade from this port, which has till lately been flourishing to an incredible extent, is threatened with dislocation, and I bave exhausted all my powers of argument in trying to induce the Viceroy to take some radical steps,
A proposal of mine to place an adequate force of the old torpedo boats at Whampoa, and of drilled men in charge of a very suitable British subject, for a campaign against the robbers and pirates, which proposal was being favourably entertained by the Viceroy, has fallen through owing to the jealousy of a German subject employed in the Torpedo Department at Whampoa, who was backed up by his Consul. Life and property are no longer safe in this district, and if the important trade of this wealthy province is not to be eventually completely ruined, I see no other alternative than that the British Government should undertake what the Chinese authorities either will not or cannot do. The robbers and pirates are numbered by thousands already, and, encouraged by impunity, are daily enlisting more recruits. I understand that the neighbouring Province of Kuangsi is suffering in a similar manner, and any scheme for the regeneration of Kuangtung should include it.
[2095 p-2]
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