CO129-498-1 Indepartmental conference on Piracy- report 12-1-1926 - 20-4-1926 — Page 63

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In Sir E.Stubbs' view the only two effective ways of combating piracy were by destroying the pirates villages and by insist- ing that each ship should be prepared, and should recognise its obligation, to defend itself. Until the boycott occurred he had been successful in inducing local Chinese authorities to undertake expeditions against the pirate villages, and these expeditions had on several occasions been very successful; and it was with the object of ensuring that ships should be in a position to defend them-

selves that the Piracy Regulations had been

framed. The proper policy to follow was to

insist on the strict enforcement of these

regulations.

Sir E.Stubbs felt, however, that

any discussion of piracy at the present moment is purely academic. There is no piracy.

because there is no trade. When "normal"

conditions are restored the Chinese themselves

will have become so thoroughly tired of dis-

turbances that things will settle down; and in his opinion it was reasonable to hope that) piracy, at any rate on a big scale, will not

was

convinced

would

recur. He did not think, therefore, that

it would be necessary to increase or even to reinstitute the patrol launches, and even if it were so necessary Hong Kong would not

be in a position to pay for them. If it

were a question of paying for or going withou launches the Colony would certainly prefer to go without them.

The