CO129-343 - Public Offices & Foreign Office - 1907 — Page 597

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barriers, the foreign officers of the Customs can spect

thom and send them for adjudiostion to the Chinane

Authoritios:as to the patrolling or the waterways, this la

a matter to be dealt with by spasisl officers, --thus esch

will have his own proper duties and must not encroach upon

the province of the other. I havo navar heard of any

regulations under which the Imperial or Provincial Govem-

mont have employed foreign offieers in the capacity of a

matrol guard;how sould I venture then to agree to this

proposal? Besides, foreign officers have knowledge neither

of the Cantonese dialect nor of local conditions;if the

command of the launches varo entrusted to then there would

be andlers difficulties.

As things now stand, in all cases of parsoy of single

launches the pirates oone aboard as passengers and avait

their opportunity to strike; they do not approach from out-

side.kos ir foreign offioaro are placed in command of the

patrol, they will only be able to watch and sosech the

waterway.;hor then could they discover and secure pirasos d$a

disguised aa paceongora?I you have the tranquillity or tha

inland waters at heart, I must again ask you to consider es

the most important messure towards this and the proposition

which I have advanced,namely to statim suardz on heard the

single isunches, there to search the passengers for are. The protection of the ratarways is my special duty and now,

since the piratos bave their haurte on there, the Viceroy has also placed under my command the various lend campo along

those waterways.Recently, too, an additional purchase of

fourteen launches has been made with the twofold ohjest of

sup, rassing piracy and protecting trade.

Tho