Fk F RI "%་ཏན
CHINA TRADE.
CONFIDENTIAL.
No. 1.
[January 27.]
Admiralty to Foreign Office.-(Received January 27.)
SECTION 1. FEB 02
191
Admiralty, January 23, 1902.
Sir,
I AM commanded by the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to transmit, for the information of the Secretary of State, extracts from a letter, dated the 21st ultimo, from the Commander-in-chief on the China Station, relative to the suppression of piracy on the West River, &c.
I am, &c. (Signed)
EVAN MACGREGOR.
1
Inclosure in No. 1.
Vice-Admiral Sir C. Bridge to Admiralty.
December 21, 1901.
(Extract.)
6. REFERRING to their Lordships' telegram of the 4th October, 1901, the Humber" has been employed to convey Sir James Mackay and his party from Hong Kong to Swatau, Amoy, Pagoda Island, and Shanghae; and I have ordered the "Phoenix" at Hankow to convey the party across the river to Wuchang and back for the purpose of paying a ceremonial visit to the Viceroy Chang-Chi-Tung.
7. From the 11th to the 13th instant I paid a visit to Canton, going in the "Bramble" and returning in the "Handy." The Viceroy, To M'o, was still too ill to receive visitors, but I called upon Tak Shan, Governor of the Province of Kwang Tung, and met with a most courteous reception.
8. I discussed with his Excellency the recent so-called " piracies" in the neigh- bourhood of the West River. The term applied to these crimes may be legally correct, but the perpetrators are not pirates in the ordinary sense. They are really shore bandits who seize boats and steam-launches, and rob passengers traversing narrow rivers. To attempt their suppression by naval means alone would be an absurdity.
9. I submit that, whilst it would be proper enough for us to give assistance when asked, our policy should be to force the Chinese officials to put down by themselves robbery of Chinese subjects by other Chinese subjects in inland Chinese waters. Our intervention -unless skilfully managed-will assuredly bring into the case other nations, and cause risk of considerable trouble.
10. I hinted to the Governor of Kwang Tung that it might be better for him to put an end to the piracies than for foreigners to do it for him. His Excellency saw this at once, and said that he would take energetic measures to stop a repetition of
the crimes mentioned. I am satisfied that he meant what he said,
[1830 dd-1] -
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