CO129-329 - Governor Nathan - 1905 [7-12] — Page 228

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Sir,

Enclosure 2.who.

C.O.

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Colonial Secretary's Office,

Hongkong, 29th. August,

1905.

I am directed to enclose a copy of a letter addressed to the Governor with His Excellency's permission by Sub-

-Lieutenant A. Skrydioff of the Imperial Russian Navy on the 11th.

instant and received by His Excellency on the 28th. with the re-

-port of the officer Commanding the Troops in South China on the

various subjects of complaint.

2.

With reference to paragraph 2 of the letter

as you are aware the sailors from the Torpedo Boat Destroyer

"Burni" are housed in ratsheds. These are not in the selves un-

-healthy structures and it is not unusual for British officers in

the Colonial Service to occupy such buildings for considerable

periods of tire. They are certainly cooler than tents. The sailors

at Kowloon are permitted to move about freely in the neighbourhood

of the Cantonment where there are trees affording good shade. It

is certainly true that the buildings could easily be destroyed by

fire as would also wooden structures. As they are not surrounded

by other buildings the likelihood of fire is not however consider-

-able while the means of egress from the matsheds are such that

there can be no fear of men not being able to leave them at once

if a fire actually broke out.

3.

As Lieutenant Skrydioff states in the 3rd.

paragraph of his letter arrangements have been made for temporarily

housing the men under him in the event of the destruction of the

matsheds by fire or typhoon.

te laperial Russian Consul.

These arrangements would take effect as

soon

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