CO129-298 - Governor Sir Blake Administrator Major Gen Gascoigne - 1900 [3-4] — Page 234

COPY.

Translation."

Sir,

From Viceroy bi.

233

3.0

13320

A

Bree 30 APR 00

March 18th., 1900.

I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt

of your despatch informing me that His Excellency the Governor of

Hongkong has communicated with you on the subject of the co-opera-

tion of the Naval Authorities with the Chinese Government for the

suppression of piracy on the West River and stating that an appoint

-ment having been made for a last interview, Lin Taot'ai, having

personally agreed to be present at the consultation, did not at-

tend and had moreover left Hongkong without giving any reason,

On the receipt of the above, I ordered the

faot'ai in question to state clearly his reason for this action and

I have now received the following statement from Lin Taot'ai:-

*I and Colonel Lu Wen-ching, at 10 a.m. on the 23rd. (February 22nd.) went to Government House in Hongkong and there sav His Excellency the Governor. There was a conversation on the subject of the suppression of piracy on the West River; His Excel- lency the Governor said he proposed to send three men-of-war to assist the Chinese Government in doing so and if any village al- lowed pirates to harbour in it thea the men-of-war would open fire and bonbard the place. I replied that this was a very serious matter and that I must return to Canton and report to the Viceroy before I could discuss it. H. E. the Governor of Hongkong then said that 10 a.. the next day we should again go and

discuss