CO129-487 - Others & Individuals - 1924 — Page 397

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A detailed reply requested in time to present to this meeting,

which stands adjourned till Sunday, 17th February 1924, at the

same time and place for the purpose of receiving such reply.

1. We have held two meetings. At our first meeting,

held on the 17th of June 1924, there were also present, besides

the members of the Committee, Sir J. Jamieson (His Majesty's

Consul-General, Canton) and representatives of the Treasury,

the War Office, and the India Office. At our second meeting,

held on the 10th of July, 1924, we had the advantage of a

personal discussion with Mr. T.W. Moore, C.B.H., F.R.G.S. (Secretary,

The Imperial Merchant Service Guild), Mr. D. Bramah, C.B.E.,

(General Secretary, The Marine Engineers Association), and Mr. J.

Watson (Secretary, The Marine Engineers Guild of China). Representatives

of the Mercantile Marine Department, Board of Trade, were also present at this meeting.

1. After considering reports on the cases of piracy which

had occurred and on the general conditions existing in South

China, it was agreed that the present state of affairs was

directly due to the civil war in the Kwangtung Province,

which had completely disrupted the policing by the Chinese

Authorities of the Canton Delta and neighbouring waters.

In the circumstances, the only measure which could be effective

would be the destruction of the pirate lairs, the whereabouts

of the more important of which were apparently well known.

In regard to this, we were informed that the landing on Chinese

territory of British military and naval forces for such a

purpose is out of the question, but that arrangements had been

made