CO129-346 - Governor Sir Lugard - 1908 [1-3] — Page 30

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I have the honour to acknowledge Your Excellency's letter No. 222 of this date in reply to mine of 24th. instant, on the subject of the measures to be taken for the suppression of piracy in Canton waters.

2.

There appears to me to be a slight mis- -apprehension in the second paragraph of your letter, which I would desire to correct. Your Excellency says:- "It did occur "to me that if the Viceroy was reminded of the friendly offices "of the Hongkong Government, and that the Colony was directly "interested in the speedy settlement of the questions at issue *it might possibly help matters. To such a course of action I have no objection whatever to offer, and Indeed I understood that acting on the instructions of the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs dated August 16th., His Britannic Majesty's Minister had made use of this argument, while the Consul- -General at ganton told me personally that he had done so repeatedly. In a conversation with him on the 22nd. instant, I informed him of the recent legislation regarding seditious publications to which I alluded in paragraph 2 (c) of my letter to you of 24th. December. He was not aware of this Ordinance

and I suggested he should make use of the argument that it was a fresh proof of the friendly disposition of this Government.

3.

There appears to me, however, to be a considerable difference between the use of the argument that Hongkong has continued to render friendly offices to the Viceroy which he ought to reciprocate, and the threat of with- -drawal of those offices -a threat which it was the purpose of

my letter to shew would be difficult of enforcement. I regret Excellency

Admiral Sir A. W. Moore,

K.C.B.,K.C.V.0.,C.M.G.

that

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