CO129-437 - Public Offices - 1916 — Page 738

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Copy to tion, keng.

NG. 310.

my Lord :-

50381

Leking.

REC:

¡Rees | CEC 16

242802

November 6, 19167

736

I have the honour to acknowledgethe receipt of your despatch No. 16 of the 29th Leptember enclosing a communi- estion from the Colonial office respecting the eugrestion made by the Governor of ilongkong for the joint policing : of the islands of Lacarirs and ong Kam by the Chinese and iortuguese Authorities.

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I have talked over the question with my ortuṛueDÒ Colleague, de Freitas, and nie opinion is thut nothing would be gained by submitting "uch a proposal to the Chin- ane Goverment at the present time. they would, he says,

only regard it as an attempt to settle the question of

des limitation to their disadvantage. They claim exclurit jurisdictionøver both these Islands and I gathered fr de Freitas that the .ortuguese Government night ne

willing to concede this claim provided the Chinese .

ment consented to a reasonable settlement of the que

relating to the status of the Inner Harbour of acné.

de Freitas said that he had discussed the suprasti on of

joint policing of the islands with ir Lenry Lay and had

reluctantly come to the conclusion that it was imprsoth

cable.

He instanced the violent agitation which had lik

cently arisen at lientein in connection with the #raich“

attempt to exercise police rights over an extension df.

their wettlement there as an illustration of the stor”

opposition that would be encountered at Canton if any?

sttempt were made to alter the status quo at kaono,

he

Centra

The right honourable

Viscount Grey of Falloden, ".G..

80..

&c.. አc..