CO129-404 - Acting Governor Claud Severn - 1913 [10-12] — Page 27

sir,

26

Encl

C.O

30573

17 NOV 13

Lyn

No

Kedical Department,

Hongkong, 20th October, 1913.

have the honour to submit for His Excellency's

information the following remarks and recommendations arising

out of Major James' Report upon the possible introduction of

yellow fever into Fongkong and as to the measures which should

be taken in order to prevent this possibility.

2.

The first of the recommendation made by Major

James is that a medical officer should be appointed as an

Intelligence Officer at Hongkong for the purpose of securing

continuous and trustworthy information regarding any outbreak of

yellow fever in areas whence infection is likely to be conveyed,

and the measures which may be taken to prevent ships from carry-

ing infection from such areas. In the event of yellow fever

occurring either as a considerable outbreak or even as a few

cases,

it is assumed that this port would be immediately inform-

ed, and the position then would turn upon our preparedness or

otherwise for dealing with ships coming from the infected port.

3.

If we cannot be sure that we shall receive early

information from any port or country in which yellow fever may

arise, then an additional safeguard would be supplied by the

"intelligence officer" in question. It is said that the

American Government has found that the practice of attaching

medical officers to their Consulates abroads has resulted in the

obtaining of trustworthy and complete information and of exer-

cising control over ships bound for the United States from those ports. But such an "intelligence officer" stationed in one

place would be in a more favourable position than one who had to

move about from his headquarters in search of information and

who might not be at the right place at the right moment for

acquiring early information,

The Honourable

The Colonial Secretary,

Hongkong.

4.