6
I have communicated the substance of your Highness' note to His Majesty's Government by telegraph, and I assume its meaning to be that the provincial authorities have accepted the scheme for placing these vessels under the control of the Imperial Maritime Customs, as proposed by me in repeated consultations with the Board. This point is, however, not explicitly stated in your Highness' note, and I have the honour to request that I may be definitely informed whether this assumption is correct.
I also have the honour to point out that your Highness' note makes no mention of the question of compensating the losses which have been sustained by British shipping through these piratical attacks. I am gratified to see from your Highness' note that the present Viceroy admits the inefficiency of the provincial police, and as the occurrence of these outrages has only been possible on account of the neglect of his predecessors in office to afford proper protection to trade and shipping, the obligation of the province to pay for this neglect is self-evident.
I have the honour to request, therefore, that the Viceroy may be instructed to lose no further time in discussing this question of compensation with His Majesty's Consul-General, and I should remind your Highness of the statement in my note of the 31st October that if compensation is not paid locally by the province without further delay, His Majesty's Government will hold the Central Government responsible for its payment.
I avail, &c.
(Translation.)
(Signed)
Inclosure 9 in No. 1.
J. N. JORDAN.
Memorandum communicated by the Wai-wu Pu to Sir J. Jordan.
IN their note of the 5th instant the Board had the honour to convey to his Excellency the British Minister the substance of the numerous telegrams which had passed between him and the Viceroy at Canton on the subject of the placing of additional patrol-vessels on the West River in the Province of Canton.
They have now received a further telegram from the Viceroy, in which his Excellency observes that the Canton Provinces cover a wide area, and that the West River, in its course from Hsun-Chou and Wuchow to the provincial capital, traverses fully 300 miles; that merchant-vessels of all nationalities ply back and forth in large numbers, and even with additional patrol-vessels it would be impossible to supply an escort to every ship. Piracies are sometimes effected by desperadoes who, masquerading as passengers and secretly armed, make their attack during the trip, and who differ from ordinary pirate gangs. Frequently after a robbery has taken place the vessel continues on her course as usual, and the patrol-vessels have no means of ascertaining that a robbery has occurred.
There are at present in the Canton Province about seventy vessels of the preventive service, both large and small, but unless some thoroughly effective method of employing them can be devised, they can serve no good purpose. His Excellency has therefore now drawn up a set of Regulations, in concert with the Commissioner of Customs, which are to be put into effect in the first instance on the West River. These Regulations are briefly:
1. It is proposed to purchase four additional shallow-draught vessels with a speed of 12 knots; two to patrol the upper reaches, and two to patrol the lower course.
2. To divide the existing nineteen patrol-boats into detachments of two vessels, and to mark off sections for them to patrol.
3. To arrange for each pair of these vessels (a large and a small vessel) to patrol in fixed watches.
4. To establish a strict system of rewards and punishments for the non-commissioned officers and men on board these vessels.
5. To arrange ports of call for merchant-vessels, the Commissioner to determine how many such ports of call there shall be on the banks of the West River, these ports of call to be for the landing and discharging of passengers and cargo, and a patrol-boat to be stationed at each one for purposes of protection.
6. To determine steamer routes, and to instruct the Commissioner of Customs to ascertain what are the busiest places between which vessels will be required to ply, so as to facilitate the keeping of a look-out by the patrol-boats.
7. All merchant-vessels in passing patrol-boats to approach within hailing distance.
8. Foreign vessels as well as Chinese vessels to have a number of soldiers on board, each as an escort during the whole river voyage.
9. To establish stations at strategical points along the river, and for all vessels clearing from Canton to undergo inspection by the local authority.
An official having been sent to frame the above Regulations in consultation with Mr. King, the Commissioner of Customs, and the latter having expressed his entire concurrence in them, it is proposed to select tried officers and put the Regulations into effect. With regard to the purchase of the additional fast vessels, the acting Admiral, Ch'in, sent an officer to Hong Kong the other day to arrange prices.
It is intended that the Regulations, now drawn up with the concurrence of the Commissioner of Customs, shall be effectively carried out, and the Commanding Officers of the vessels will under no circumstances be allowed to idle away their time as before. The Commissioner, Mr. King, has been in Canton a long time and is thoroughly conversant with local conditions. The Viceroy intends to send an official to discuss with him measures for the reform of the police system and seek his advice from time to time. The cost of the additional vessels and their annual upkeep will be borne by the provinces themselves. There is no need for the Revenue Council to remit the 200,000 taels they proposed to devote to that purpose.
The Board are of opinion that as the proposed scheme, outlined in the Viceroy's telegram, has been arranged after consultation with the Commissioner, Mr. King, it may be regarded as affording a satisfactory solution of the question of police reform, and shows that effective action is being taken which should suffice to put down piracy and restore the confidence of the trading community.
Since the Viceroy at Canton proposes to raise the funds for the purchase of the additional vessels himself, they will therefore naturally be under his Excellency's sole control. The sum of 200,000 taels, which the Board arranged should be raised by the Revenue Council, has already been appropriated, and the Board will therefore write and ask the Revenue Council to direct the Inspector-General of Customs to hand 100,000 taels of this sum to the Commissioner of Customs at Canton with which to purchase two vessels, to be placed under his own independent control, and to use the other 100,000 taels to defray the annual expenses incurred by the Commissioner for the upkeep of these vessels.
The Board have sent a telegraphic acknowledgment to the Canton Viceroy and written to the Revenue Council, and, while awaiting their respective replies before communicating further with his Excellency the British Minister, have in the meantime the honour to prepare this Memorandum for his information.
November 11, 1907.
Inclosure 10 in No. 1.
Memorandum communicated by Sir J. Jordan to Prince Ching.
WITH reference to the Board's Memorandum of the 11th November regarding the Regulations drawn up by the Viceroy at Canton, in concert with the Commissioner of Customs, Sir John Jordan has the honour to observe that no mention is made as to whether His Majesty's Consul-General has been consulted on the subject of these Rules. Since it is proposed by the Viceroy to introduce Rules to be followed by foreign vessels, it seems an indispensable preliminary to consult the Consular Representative chiefly concerned in this matter.
It would also be advisable to consult with Vice-Admiral Sir A. Moore, who has exceptional sources of information upon such a subject, and who is now at Hong Kong.
Until the opinion of his Excellency the British Admiral and of His Majesty's Consul-General has been taken upon these proposals, Sir John Jordan does not feel prepared to express his views on them, and he has the honour to request the Board to telegraph to his Excellency the Viceroy that he should confer with the British Admiral and Consul-General as soon as possible.
Peking, November 12, 1907.
0
423
6
I have communicated the substance of your Highness' note to His Majesty's Government by telegraph, and I assume its meaning to be that the provincial authorities have accepted the scheme for placing these vessels under the control of the Imperial Maritime Customs, as proposed by me in repeated consultations with the Board. This point is, however, not explicitly stated in your Highness' note, and I have the honour to request that I may be definitely informed whether this assumption is correct.
I also have the honour to point out that your Highness' note makes no mention of the question of compensating the losses which have been sustained by British shipping through these piratical attacks. I am gratified to see from your Highness' note that the present Viceroy admits the inefficiency of the provincial police, and as the occurrence of these outrages has only been possible on account of the neglect of his predecessors in office to afford proper protection to trade and shipping, the obligation of the province to pay for this neglect is self-evident.
I have the honour to request, therefore, that the Viceroy may be instructed to lose no further time in discussing this question of compensation with His Majesty's Consul-General, and I should remind your Highness of the statement in my note of the 31st October that if compensation is not paid locally by the province without further delay, His Majesty's Government will hold the Central Government responsible for its payment.
I avail, &c.
(Translation.)
(Signed)
Inclosure 9 in No. 1.
J. N. JORDAN.
Memorandum communicated by the Wai-wu Pu to Sir J. Jordan.
IN their note of the 5th instant the Board had the honour to convey to his Excellency the British Minister the substance of the numerous telegrams which had passed between him and the Viceroy at Canton on the subject of the placing of additional patrol-vessels on the West River in the Province of Canton.
They have now received a further telegram from the Viceroy, in which his Excellency observes that the Canton Provinces cover a wide area, and that the West River, in its course from Hsun-Chou and Wuchow to the provincial capital, traverses fully 300 miles; that merchant-vessels of all nationalities ply back and forth in large numbers, and even with additional patrol-vessels it would be impossible to supply an escort to every ship. Piracies are sometimes effected by desperadoes who, masquerading as passengers and secretly armed, make their attack during the trip, and who differ from ordinary pirate gangs. Frequently after a robbery has taken place the vessel continues on her course as usual, and the patrol-vessels have no means of ascertaining that a robbery has occurred.
There are at present in the Canton Province about seventy vessels of the preventive service, both large and small, but unless some thoroughly effective method of employing them can be devised, they can serve no good purpose. His Excellency has therefore now drawn up a set of Regulations, in concert with the Commissioner of Customs, which are to be put into effect in the first instance on the West River. These Regulations are briefly :
1. It is proposed to purchase four additional shallow-draught vessels with a speed
of 12 knots; two to patrol the upper reaches, and two to patrol the lower course.
2. To divide the existing nineteen patrol-boats into detachments of two vessels, and to mark off sections for them to patrol.
3. To arrange for each pair of these vessels (a large and a small vessel) to patrol in fixed watches.
4. To establish a strict system of rewards and punishments for the non- commissioned officers and men on board these vessels.
5. To arrange ports of call for merchant-vessels, the Commissioner to determine how many such ports of call there shall be ou the banks of the West River, these ports of call to be for the landing and discharging of passengers and cargo, and a patrol-boat to be stationed at each one for purposes of protection.
6. To determine steamer routes, and to instruct the Commissioner of Customs to ascertain what are the busiest places between which vessels will be required to ply, so as to facilitate the keeping of a look-out by the patrol-boats.
7
7. All merchant-vessels in passing patrol-boats to approach within hailing distance. 8. Foreign vessels as well as Chinese vessels to have a number of soldiers on board, each ag an escort during the whole river voyage.
9. To establish stations at strategical points along the river, and for all vessels clearing from Canton to undergo inspection by the local authority.
An official having been sent to frame the above Regulations in consultation with Mr. King, the Commissioner of Customs, and the latter having expressed his entire concurrence in them, it is proposed to select tried officers and put the Regulations into effect. With regard to the purchase of the additional fast vessels, the acting Admiral, Ch'in, sent an officer to Hong Kong the other day to arrange prices.
It is intended that the Regulations, now drawn up with the concurrence of the Commissioner of Customs, shall be effectively carried out, and the Commanding Officers of the vessels will under no circumstances be allowed to idle away their time as before. The Commissioner, Mr. King, has been in Canton a long time and is thoroughly conver sant with local conditions. The Viceroy intends to send an official to discuss with him measures for the reform of the police system and seek his advice from time to time. The cost of the additional vessels and their annual upkeep will be borne by the provinces themselves. There is no need for the Revenue Council to remit the 200,000 taels they proposed to devote to that purpose.
The Board are of opinion that as the proposed scheme, outlined in the Viceroy's telegram, has been arranged after consultation with the Commissioner, Mr. King, it may be regarded as affording a satisfactory solution of the question of police reform, and shows that effective action is being taken which should suffice to put down. piracy and restore the confidence of the trading community.
Since the Viceroy at Canton proposes to raise the funds for the purchase of the additional vessels himself, they will therefore naturally be under his Excellency's sole control. The sum of 200,000 taels, which the Board arranged should be raised by the Revenue Council, has already been appropriated, and the Board will therefore write and ask the Revenue Council to direct the Inspector-General of Customs to hand 100,000 taels of this sum to the Commissioner of Customs at Canton with which to purchase two vessels, to be placed under his own independent control, and to use the other 100,000 taels to defray the annual expenses incurred by the Commissioner for the upkeep of these vessels.
The Board have sent a telegraphic acknowledgment to the Canton Viceroy and written to the Revenue Council, and, while awaiting their respective replies before communicating further with his Excellency the British Minister, have in the meantime the honour to prepare this Memorandum for his information.
November 11, 1907.
Inclosure 10 in No. 1.
Memorandum communicated by Sir J. Jordan to Prince Ching.
WITH reference to the Board's Memorandum of the 11th November regarding the Regulations drawn up by the Viceroy at Canton, in concert with the Commissioner of Customs, Sir John Jordan has the honour to observe that no mention is made as to whether His Majesty's Consul-General has been consulted on the subject of these Rules. Since it is proposed by the Viceroy to introduce Rules to be followed by foreign vessels, it seems an indispensable preliminary to consult the Consular Representative chiefly concerned in this matter.
It would also be advisable to consult with Vice-Admiral Sir A. Moore, who has exceptional sources of information upon such a subject, and who is now at Hong Kong.
Until the opinion of his Excellency the British Admiral and of His Majesty's Consul-General has been taken upon these proposals, Sir John Jordan does not feel prepared to express his views on them, and he has the honour to request the Board to telegraph to his Excellency the Viceroy that he should confer with the British Admiral and Consul-General as soon as possible.
Peking, November 12, 1907.
0
423
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