CO129-344 - Public Offices & Foreign Office - 1907 — Page 382

C

VAK I

TO JUL 25.8

Ant yw of 60231919

** fix

71

def alege and get

interview yeaterday for an authoritative statement of

330

the scheme.

The Grand Secretary Na T'ung thereupon informed me

that as the Viceroy at Canton and the Revenue Gounoil

had hesitated to come to a final decision and had

referred the matter back to the Wai Wu Pu, that Board

had decided on behalf of the Chinese Government to

devote the two lakhs of taols (say £32,000) which the

Revenue Council were prepared to provide, to the pur-

chase of four revenue oruisere. These vessels were to be

placed under Oustoms control, and their primary use

would be for the prevention of smuggling. In order to

deal with piracy, they would carry on board a military

or navel officer, as the representative of the territo-

rial authorities, whose duty it would be to capture

1

pirates whenever found.

I asked His Excellency if he was prepared to embody

this statement in a Note, and he expressed himself quite

willing to do so, but suggested that it would have nors

practical value if the Board wrote after effective

measures had been entually taken. As His Excellency

assured