SECRET.
24988
G2 31 MAY 15]
340
From General Officer Commanding, China, to War Office.
No. 166, cipher.)
26th May, 1915, 3.35 p.m. The private property of Hakon Schluter, British subject, an employee of the firm Reuter Brocklemann, recently assisting liquidators, has been searched and copies of etters signed by Schluter have been found proving that he had been in habit of taking eavy mail to Canton to evade the censorship here. An accommodation address was
1so found.
Colonial legal advice does not consider that the evasion of the censorship constitutes an offence which could be tried by civil court or by court-martial under Section 40. chluter is at present at Canton and could be brought down under the Fugitive Offenders' Act, but the Magistrate here objects to the issue of a warrant for the evasion of censorship. The Governor thinks that there is a probability of the case being quashed
nder Habeas Corpus Act, and he is cabling to the Colonial Office.
If there is the least possibility of punishing him I very strongly deprecate allowing his man Schluter to escape scot-free.
Please cable ine your instructions in the matter.
(1344) 20 013 HAS It wo
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