CO129-414 - Governor Sir May - 1914 [10-11] — Page 124

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business on which he had consulted a leading firm of

solicitors here. On arrival on board the steamer, his

cabin and his most private effects and papers (among

them his will) were searched by the civil and military, police. Unfortunately the Captain Superintendent of Poltee, who had been urgently requested by telephone to

authorise the search by civil police, consented to the

search. His excuse was that it was Sunday morning and

there was no time to get a warrant. But there was in fact

no valid ground on which to base an application for a

warrant.

·

This gentleman's solicitors took up the case ag

I had some difficulty in extricating the parties concerne

Xin this illegal transaction.

(c). The climax was reached last week when three Danes, t

of them being assistants in the Great Northern Telegraph

Co; and the third an assistant in a well-known Danish Fit

here, were entertaining to dinner in their private reside

a well-known Danish Kerchant from Canton who was staying

the Hong Kong Hotel with his wife. After dinner these fo gentlemen indulged in singing, "God Save The King" being among the songs. This seems to have disturbed a medical practitioner living close by, who at 11 p.m. asked the Military Commander of the District to stop the noise; be under the impression that on this officer devolved the d

of maintaining law and order. The latter summoned two European policemen to his assistance, and with an armed guard of eight Indian soldiers proceeded to the house,

Government House, Hong Kong.

121

entered it with the police, and ordered them under "Military Law" to arrest the four "Germans". These and the police explained that they were Danes, but the officer insisted, saying that he would have "no damned noise in his district", threatened that he would call the guard, and had the four gentlemen arrested then and there, carried off to the Police Station and confined in the Police cells, Fortunately the Inspector in charge of the Station (who had been out on duty) arrived about an hour afterwards and at once liberated the prisoners; but not before the merchant missed the last ferry to Hong Kong, being tnus obliged to sleep on his frienda' sofa, to the great anxiety of his wife, left sorrowing in the Hong Kong Hotel.

I have dealt with the Police for their share in

this amazing transaction, which would have resulted in the

officer responsible for it being sued in the Courts for unlawful imprisonment and summoned for assault, had not the Police Inspector wisely persuaded the officer to

patch up the case with nie prisoners in the morning.

Wishing to avoid a scandal I sent the statements of

the Police concerned in the arrest and of the four Danes

to General Kelly, leaving him to deal with the officer,

but stipulating that he should apologise to the C.S.P. for

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