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(d) Farties are on no account to be landed from H.M. Ships
within Chinese jurisdiction to destroy houses or
villages, or even search them, on the grounds of their inhabitants being engaged in acts of piracy. The Chinese officials who accompany H.. Ships on these
expeditions have no authority to request that such
measures should be adopted.
(e) It will however be the duty of Officers in Command to
report the information that may reach them of piratical
villages and depots with a view to H.B.M. Consul
calling upon the Chinose authorities to take steps for
their suppression, in which case our co-operation may
be afforded if solicited through H.B.. Consul.
(f) Officers may use force
3.
(1)
When fired upon.
(11) When a piracy is actually seen to take place,
for the destruction or capture of the pirates.
(111) To prevent undoubted robbers from making their
escape.
It will be observed therefore that on no account
can any Officers or men be disembarked in Chinese Territory
to search for or to attack pirates, and that when pirates
are
once onshore fire can only be opened on them at the request
of Chinese Officials through H.B.. Consul and in co-operation
with Chinese authorities.
4. Under these special circumstances I would recommend
that the most effective fire which could be opened from Navel
resources in co-operation with Chinese would be salvoes of
incendiary bombs from aircraft, the object being to burn
out the villages.
Before such action could be taken however, it
would be necessary to receive a request from the Pakin or
Canton Authorities through H.B.M. iinister at Pekin or
(xv).
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