CO129-495 - Governor Sir Clementi - 1926 [11-12] — Page 182

I Peracy Jame

(2) High Power Station

You will remember that the W.T. experts said that the Eatrist had been misted on

certain technical aspects of

the beam

system

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1442026

This Document is the Property of His Britannic Majesty's Government.

Printed for the Committee of Imperial Defence. December 1926.

SECRET.

287-C,

(Also Paper No. C.0.8. 57.)

COMMITTEE OF IMPERIAL DEFENCE.

CHINA PIRACY IN BIAS BAY,

(Previous C.1.D. Papers Nos. 283-C and 285-C.)

Report by the Chiefs of Staff.

Copy No.

18

176

AT their 218th Meeting on the 25th November, 1926, the Committee of Imperial Defence recommended-

"That the Chiefs of Staff Sub-Committee should examine the plan for dealing with piracy in Bias Bay suggested by the Governor of Hong Kong in Appendix I to C.I.D. Paper No. 283-C, obtaining from Hong Kong any further information which may be necessary for this purpose, and should advise the Committee of Imperial Defence as to what action they recommend."

2. In accordance with this recommendation we met, to consider this question, on the 2nd December, 1926, having in the meantime obtained by telegram from Hong Kong further information regarding the proposed plan.

3. In a telegram, dated the 1st December, 1926 (Appendix), the General Officer Commanding, Hong Kong, recommends with the approval of the Governor and the Consul-General, Canton, that action should now be taken against the Bias Bay pirates "at our own select time without awaiting further piracy." We note that this suggestion involves an important alteration to the procedure originally recommended by the Governor of Hong Kong, who proposed that the expedition should be immediately despatched when next a piracy in Bias Bay is reported.

4. From other telegrams received since the 218th Meeting of the Committee of Imperial Defence, we have ascertained that the headquarters of the Bias Bay pirates is definitely established to be at Fan-Lo-Kong village, that some thirty or forty of the pirates are known to the Hong Kong police by name, and that Chinese guides can be provided to identify individuals and their places of residence.

We are also informed that the proposed operation will consist of a landing as close as possible to Fan-Lo-Kong, and that transportation to this place and provision of shallow-draught boats for actual landing have been arranged by the Royal Navy. The intention is to land before dawu, at which hour Fan-Lo-Kong will be smoke-bonibed by seaplanes. This action, combined with news of the landing, is expected to cause a general evacuation of the village. Half an hour after dawn the village will be approached from the shore side and entered; the entrances to the village will be picketed from the laud side and houses belonging to known pirates will be destroyed after ensuring that the civil population has evacuated them. If any pirates are captured it is proposed to hand them over, if possible, to the local Chinese authorities. No further offensive action is intended unless troops are attacked. In the unlikely event of the landing being opposed, covering fire would be provided by ships' guus and machine guns. The number of troops to be employed is 10 officers and 256 other ranks, and the operation would be completed within twenty-four hours.

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