CO129-443 - Governor Sir May - 1917 [7-9] — Page 43

38

k

+

suitable vessel in place of the "Devawongse"

This steamer and the "Phranang" have for years been plying between Hongkong, and Siam and Tonkin principally in connection with the rice trade, and their withdrawal will assuredly lead to Japanese and neutral boats being put on the run. Such competition, once allowed to come in, will not be easily ousted. And this is a factor affecting British trade, which I venture to commend to the serious consideration of Your Excellency and of the Commodore,

I yield to no one, whatever his race, in my devotion and attachment to the Crow, and will cheefully submit to any sacrifice that may conduce to the welfare of the Empire. But while there are plenty of other boats at hand of equal suitability, and while certain steamship companies who have earned considerably larger profits than we have, have been deprived of only 10 to 20 % of their tonnage, I feel keenly the unequal burden cast on my Company.

I may mention that at the time when we were negotiating for the purchase of the two steamers, more than one purely Chinese syndicate were trying to acquire them, and it was through my personal exertions that the boats were wrested from a foreign flag. Shortly after their purchase by us, a suggestion was made to me to have them transferred to a neutral flag so as to escape possible requisitioning by His Majesty's Government, but

I at once dismissed the suggestion, relying on and believing in the absolute fairness of British rule. Confirmed in this belief, I now appeal to Your Excellency

for assistance. I beg of your Excellency to transmit, with

whatever support you may deem fit to extend us, this