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search by Police under warrant of the dwellings of both these gentlemen and of the Peruvian Consular Offices. The search was made
under the superintendence of Mr. T. H. King, Assistant Superintend-
-ent of Police between the hours of 10 a.m. and 1.30 p.m. on the
22nd. ultimo. Nothing suspicious was found at the Consulate or in
the rooms of Mr. Cavero. In the rooms of Mr. Layseca copy of a
letter was found addressed by Mr. Layseca in Spanish to his father
from which I enclose an extract. There were several letters from a
German girl in Hamburg from one of which dated the 8th. December,
1914, I also enclose an extract.
Mr. Layseca was formerly Secretary to the
Peruvian Consulate in Hamburg. In September, 1914, he was recalled
to Lima. He was subsequently transferred to Hongkong.
Hr. Cavero arrived recently in Hongkong. Prior
to September, 1914, he was Secretary to the Peruvian Embassy at
Berlin. In that month he left Berlin for London. He was recalled to
Lima in October. He is said to be engaged to a German lady.
3.
Both gentlemen made formal protest to the search
by Police and on the 22nd., Mr. Cavero not having then taken over
charge of the Consulate, Mr. Layseca addressed the letter copy of
which is enclosed to the Colonial Secretary; and on the 29th.
ultimo I interviewed both gentlemen in the presence of the Colonial
Secretary.
4.
Mr. Layseca said in reply to my questions that
he made use of the address in Canton because he was afraid letters
from Germany would not be delivered to him. He said that he was not sure what propaganda Mr. Brahm referred to but he imagined that it was the contradiction by Peruvians returned from Europe to Peru of
the exaggerated accounts published outside Germany of conditions in
that country owing to the war such as shortage of food, anti-war riots, pessimism etc. With reference to the extracts from his private correspondence which I read to him Mr. Layseca said that
these
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