CO129-486 - Public Offices - 1924 — Page 101

in any further communication on

this subject, please quote

No. F 1330/30/10.

and address,

but to-

not to any berson by namie,

The Under-Secretary of State,"

Foreign Office,

London, S. W. 1.

C.O.

21100

5 MAY 24

FOREIGN OFFICE

S.7.1.

3rd May, 1924.

e

THEDIATE.

100

sir,

170 17641

With reference to your letter No.17671/24 of the

22nd April last, I am directed by Mr. Secretary Ramsay

MacDonald to state that he has received a letter, dated

March 17th last, from the Head Office at Shanghai of the

Marine Engineers Guild of China, calling attention to

the need for the better protection of British shipping

on the China coast in the vicinity of Hongkong. It is

understood that a similar letter has been addressed to

the Secretary of State for the Colonies.

19401

2.

Mr. Ramsay LacDonald views with some anxiety the

possibility, indicated by this and other complaints of the

alleged failure of the authorities concerned to cope with

what appears to be an increase of lawlessness in these

waters, that a serious situation may arise in which the

provision of an effective remedy will become a matter of

urgency. That would no doubt be a matter of great

difficulty: and moreover it might call for the co-

operation of the Chinese authorities. For this and other

reasons it would reise important international questions.

I am therefore to suggest that an exchange of views

on the whole subject between the various departments of

His Lajesty's Government concerned (1.e. the Colonial

office, the Admiralty, the War office, the India Office,

the Board of Trade and the Treasury) is desirable at the

earliest practicable moment; and that an inter-depart-

mental conference to explore the complicated questions

3.

The Under Secretary of State,

Colonial Office.

involved

me Five