CO129-457 - Public Offices - 1919 — Page 431

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Sir,

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February 17th, 1919.

H.B.. Consul-General to Acting Tuchun.

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I duly communicated to the Hongkong Goverment Your Excel- lency's despatch of January 20th on the subject of the removal from Hongkong waters of the gunboat Kwangli, and was informed

in reply that His Excellency the Officer Administering the Govern- ment was unable to accept the explanation therein offered. Mr. Sevem accordingly requested me to press for the immediate return of the vessel and the tendering of a full apology for the extraordinary action which had been taken in this matter. Copies of reports made to the Hongkong authorities in connection with the incident were also received by me and these I have had unofficially brought to Your Excellency's notice. I had hoped that a perusal there of would have resulted in action in the sense desired being taken, but as nothing so far has happened I am anstrained once again to make the most serious representa- tions to Your Excellency with a view to an immediate settlement of this case. It is quite apparent from the statements furnished that. the abduction was carried out by the Canton Water Police, a department under Your Excellency's control and orders, and if they acted on their own initiative without instructions from Your Excellency it surely would be an easy matter to call them to account and to take steps to deal with them for acting in a mammer calculated to imperil the relations between two friendly Governments.

The Military Government are at the present moment seeking recognition at the hands of the Powers, and China as a whole

is presenting herself at the World's Peace Conference with a view to claiming a sympathetic reconsideration of her place among the nations. If, however, the British Goverment wore com

pelled to point out to this exalted tribunal that the Government

of the Province, in which the Headquarters of the Military

Government/.