CO129-361 - Public Offices - 1909 — Page 484

This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.j

AFFAIRS OF CHINA,

CONFIDENTIAL.

486

[March 18.]

SECTION 4,

[10399]

(Confidential.) Sir,

No. 1.

Colonial Office to Foreign Office.-—(Received March 18.)

Downing Street, March 17, 1909. WITH reference to your letter of the 10th December, I am directed by the Earl of Crewe to transmit to you, to be laid before Secretary Sir E. Grey, the inclosed copy of a Secret despatch from the Governor of Hong Kong with regard to the Island of Pratas in the China Seas.

2. I am to inquire whether Sir E. Grey sees any objection to the action proposed by Sir F. Lugard.

I

am, &c.

(Signed)

H. BERTRAM COX.

(Secret.) My Lord,

Inclosure 1 in No. 1.

Governor Sir F. Lugard to the Earl of Crewe.

Government House, Hong Kong, February 4, 1909. I HAVE the honour to acknowledge your Lordship's Secret despatch of the 23rd December, with inclosures, relative to the Atoll of Pratas. I observe in the letter from the Foreign Office that Sir E. Grey considers that China has undoubted claims to sovereignty over the island, and in view of the fact that your Lordship's despatch is marked Secret, I have the honour to inquire whether there is any objection to my alluding to this fact, and stating that His Majesty's Government recognize those claims.

2. The Honourable Mr. H. E. Pollock, K.C., has given notice that he intends to ask the question inclosed in the Legislative Council, and if there is no objection, I would propose to reply that, as the islands are claimed by China, no steps to erect a wireless station can be taken there, but that I propose to acquaint the Chinese Government, through the British Minister at Peking, with the importance which would attach to a typhoon signal station on the Pratas Shoal, not merely to Hong Kong, but to the southern coasts of China.

I have, &c. (Signed)

Inclosure 2 in No. 1.

F. D. LUGARD.

Question asked by Mr. Pollock in the Hong Kong Legislative Council.

WILL the Government consider the advisability of making arrangements for the signalling of typhoons by wireless telegraphy from one of the Pratas group of islands? Has the Government any information to communicate to the Council upon this subject?

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