CO129-507-3 China- anti-piracy precautions 31-10-1927 - 25-10-1928 — Page 231

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page that the policy was "unofficially to support Chen Chiung

Ming in every way possible, short of active interference".

Even with the qualification "Hong Kong" must still be read

as "the Hong Kong Government"

3.

It is impossible to take seriously Lieutenant

Commander Faure's views on Piracy: he seems to have

swallowed whole the political views of his Canton informants,

and to have allowed all his deductions to be coloured by

them. Hong Kong apparently is directly and solely responsible for the existence of Bias Bay pirates, and in some strange

manner in no way supported by his own facts (for the "Hay"

consignment of arms was seized by Sun) for the arming of many

pirates in the Delta. An officer with such views, or rather

with sympathies which can lead to such obvious distortions

of his own facts, would hardly seem the right one to entrust

with the important duties of Intelligence Officer. I judge

of course from this one document alone: and give weight to the

statement of the Consul-General that it was hurriedly written.

But revision would be presumably only a matter of detail and

not of the main outlook; and it is therein that it seems to me

the danger lies.

"

But it still may be that the "Policy of Hong Kong

in connection with Chan Kwing ling, although not the policy

suggested by Lieutenant Commander Faure, is having a very

undesirable effect. The policy as I understand it is only that of granting him sanctuary: the general course of events during

the last few years has made us not unsympathetic with him, but

he is still here on sufferance only, and would forfeit the

claim to consideration if detected in using Hong Kong as a base

for political intrigue.

There