CO129-365 - Governor Sir Lugard - 1910 [1-3] — Page 247

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that "the lease of the islands included in the limite fixed

by the Convention does confer upon His Majesty the usual

territorial rights over waters within the three mile limit”.

If this view is accepted by the Chinese Government, there

need be no difficulty with regard to the Western frontier

so far as this Government is concerned: and the only action

necessary is to amend the plan attached to the Convention

by showing upon it as British a three mile strip of water

round the shores of Lantao W. of meridian 113° 52′ E.

7.

I am, however, unable to find any

statement to the effect that the Chinese Government has

acquiesced in Mr.Chamberlain's dictum. On the contrary

the Chinese Imperial Maritime Customs and the Chinese Salt

Commissioner's excise officers have on several occasione

acted as if Tai O harbour and all waters west of meridian

11362 E were subject to China. In this connection I

would also refer to Major General Gascoigne's confidential

4001

02

despatch of the 27th.August, 1902, from which Your Lordship

will observe that the Western frontier has been marked by

two stones set up on Lantao Island with the following

inscriptions:

(a) on the South side of Lantao.

1902.