CO129-345 - Public Offices & Foreign Office - 1907 — Page 57

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(This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Governmert.]

2

C. O.

32445

CHINA RAILWAYS.

RECE

[March 3.]

CONFIDENTIAL.

ce 10 SEP 07

SECTION 1.

(No. 29.) Sir,

Inclosure 2 in No. 1.

Cansul-General Mansfield to Sir J. Jordan.

IN reply to your despatch No. 26 of the 4th instant, on the subject of the measures:

Canton, June 25, 1907. to be adopted for the prevention of piracy on the Canton waters, I have the honour to inclose herewith copy and translation of a communication which I have to-day addressed to his Excellency the Viceroy, based on the instructions contained in the concluding paragraph of your despatch under acknowledgment.

I have, &c. (Signed)

[6957]

(No. 36.)

R. W. MANSFIELD.

!

(Telegraphic.)

Inclosure 3 in No. 1.

Consul-General Mansfield to Viceroy Chou.

Your Excellency,

SOME time ago, acting under your instructions, Admiral Li discussed with me

Canton, June 25, 1907. certain Regulations providing for the placing of guards on board all launches plying under Inland Water Steam-ship Navigation Regulations for the prevention of piracy. In conversation with me, your Excellency expressed a strong wish that this plan should be adopted, and I had the honour to point out that there were many objections to it, and, moreover, that it did not really go to the root of the matter, as the pirates were all living on shore, and, even if your plan were successful on the waterways, their depreda- tions would continue on land. However, to meet your Excellency's views, I agreed that a trial might be made, and Regulations applicable to all launches, native and foreign, plying on the waterways were drawn up, and I forwarded them to my Minister for permission to put them into force on British launches. instructions, to the effect that he has been for some months in negotiation with the I am now in receipt of his Wai-wu Pu for the construction of several cruisers under the control of the Imperial Maritime Customs, but having an official appointed by you on board, which cruisers would patrol the waterways to prevent the smuggling of arms and to co-operate with Admiral Li's flotilla in the suppression of piracy. The Wai-wu Pu have agreed to this, and I am instructed to inform your Excellency that Admiral Li's Regulations could only be accepted on the understanding that they are a complement to, and form a part of, the scheme for Customs' cruisers to which the Wai-wu Pu have already given their

assent.

I avail, &c.

(Signed) R. W. MANSFIELD.

No. 1.

Sir J. Jordan to Sir Edward Grey.-(Received March 3.)

MY telegram No. 32.

Peking, March 3, 1907.

Following from Consul, 3rd March, dated Tali-fu, 2nd March :--

"Reconnaissance arrived all right. Lilley holds opinion that there is no insuperable difficulty to the construction of railway from Tengyueh, and that cost is not prohibitive."

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