CO129-448 - Governor Sir May - 1918 [4-6] — Page 115

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1918, March 12th I, the Acting Agent of the Volunteer Fleet in Hongkong, declare the following protest: I received your communication of the 10/23 March stating, that the steamer of the Volunteer Fleet "Indigirka" | who arrived in port on the eve, has been taken by the British Government. I protest in the name of the Volunteer Fleet against this action.

I declare that I consider the requisition of the steamer "Indigirka" to be illegal, in view of the fact that the conditions of the requisition were not previously discussed with the lawful representatives of the Volunteer Fleet in the Far East the latter were not advised of the action that was being prepated and the seizure was being proceeded with in a way not applicable to ships of a friendly nation as was the "Indigirke" the Russian Flag being sub- stituted by the British Flag and the officers and crews being arrested.

I reserve to the Volunteer Fleet and myself as the lawful representative of the Volunteer Fleet in Hongkong the right to seek by all means the return of the "Indigirka" to the lawful owners, the Volunteer Fleet, and to demand from the British Goverment the indemnification of the Volunteer Fleet for all the losses which have been occasioned to the Volunteer Fleet by the requisition directly or indirectly.

Moreover I declare that I am excessively impeded in taking lawful steps before the local authorities with a view to ascertain the reasons of the requisition and the possibilities of the withdrawal of the requisition by the fact that the ceptain is not allowed to hold communication with the shore in a normal way.

(Signed) Boris Nikolaevich Shnitnikoff

Acting Agent of the Volunteer

Fleet in Hongkong.