CO129-427 - Public Offices - 1915 — Page 96

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the right to board every British ship, examine her

papers, ascertain the amount of coal and stores

!

on board, and officially knows what her cargo 13

composed of and, in fact, all details connected

with her

In the usual course, this information is pro-

fessional but we have a German Consul here and it

follows that he knows all that his nationals know.

Times of Departure and where bound.

The Harbour Master has also the right, in

fact it is his duty, to board all men-of-war and

berth them and immediately has to report where they

are from and where bound.

If all such information

is not forthcoming to the satisfaction of the Comm-

issioner, the steamer (merchant) can be detained

and her clearance refused.

With the taking of Tsingtao, active war opera-

tions ceased on the China Coast, but it is unnecess-

ary for me to labour the subject, you will quickly

see the incongruity of the whole affair and the

danger to British shipping that might ensue, should

active hostilities be resumed in the East. Had the

Singapore trouble not been checked in time, we

might